Mr Kuchiki Takes a Wife!
by mous1elousi3
Summary: AU. Respected prosecutor, Kuchiki Byakuya enlists the aid of one of Tokyo's finest, police detective Matsumoto Rangiku to thwart the evil plans of his uncle, Kuchiki Kouga. Things...don't go as planned. RATING CHANGED.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I know what I said and I started writing this anyway because I fell in love with josei manga and Korean dramas and yeah, this was probably a bad idea. Oh well. Also, triggers warnings for this whole story, because this is the dark and gritty reboot of one of my fave josei, **_**Hapi Mari**_**. Or whatever, this first chapter is relatively safe. **_

_**Disclaimer: The author respects the rights of Tite Kubo, Shuiesha Publishing, etc as regards **_**BLEACH**_**, its characters and other material. **_

**Ichi**

There was a black stretch limousine waiting for Rangiku when she stepped out of the station building that morning after work. She had seen but dismissed it at first, assuming it belonged to some big-shot they had picked up overnight and headed for her ancient, bright pink Toyota hatchback. The Yaris had seen better days but was the first vehicle Rangiku had ever bought, lovingly dubbed Haineko, and at that moment she hoped it could get her home with the speed of a sports car. Well, she tried to anyway. As soon as she stepped to the edge of the curb, the limo rolled forward and blocked her path.

"Hey!" she snapped, without heat. She was in front of the station and there was a shift change in process, crowding the entrance with officers heading in and out. If anyone was crazy enough to attack her here, they were not getting away with it.

Then the back window slid down and a very familiar baritone said, "Vice Captain Matsumoto, good morning."

"Kuchiki-san?" asked Rangiku, eyebrows raised behind her sunglasses. Her eyes felt filled with grit from her lack of sleep but at the sight of him she was instantly alert. Most women would be, given that this was Kuchiki Byakuya she was looking at. And he was a sight for sore eyes in that black suit, dark grey silk shirt that matched his storm-cloud eyes, and thin black tie. His sleek, shoulder-length black hair, which more than a few women dreamed of running their hands through, had been parted to one side, revealing an ear and the Bluetooth headset attached. It made him look a little like a beautiful robot, which given his reputation, was not too far off from reality.

"I know that you must want to get home but I hope you would be willing to take a detour first…for breakfast?" he asked, smiling lightly.

She blinked at him, her brain momentarily short-circuiting. He had smiled at her? She wanted to tell him that it was a slightly unnatural sight on his usually stern face but instead, "You had me since you pulled up in the limo. Scoot over!"

He disappeared from view and the door opened. Rangiku slipped in, taking a moment to revel in the feeling of being collected from work in a limousine, what luxury, and shut the door behind her. The interior of the limo was white leather, smelled of jasmine and consisted of Byakuya, an elderly, white-haired gentleman in a kimono whom Rangiku did not recognise—he looked nothing like Byakuya anyway—and a petite young woman with jet-black chin-length hair and wide, violet eyes. Rangiku's eyes went wide. This was Byakuya's sister, Rukia. Why was she here? The young woman smiled at Rangiku as the lieutenant settled into her seat and said, "Hi there!"

"Hello," said Rangiku, slowly, looking between the three.

"Is there anyone that you need to get home to right now?" asked Byakuya.

"Only Toshiro, but he should be at school…_better_ be at school at this hour," said Rangiku.

"Toshiro…?" asked Byakuya.

Rangiku waved away the question, already searching for her phone. "My son, he's fifteen looks about twelve." Before she could dial, a message came up from Toshiro that yes, he had in fact gone to school and that breakfast was in the kitchen. He also mentioned checking on Granny Hitsugaya later and Rangiku suppressed a panicked flutter in her heart. She had to tell him, _they_ had to before it was too late.

"You have a fifteen year old son?" asked Rukia, mouth open.

Rangiku looked up at her and then remembered that yes, it was weird for a twenty-eight year old woman to have a fifteen year old son and said with a smile, "It's a dark story."

"His father is Ichimaru Gin?" asked Byakuya.

At this Rangiku turned to him with a sharp look. So he had researched her in the time since they had last met. She shook her head and replied, "Not biologically, no."

Then the old man said, "Perhaps, Byakuya-sama, this is a conversation that we may have later at breakfast. I spoke with the chef and they will be ready for when we arrive. To speed things along, they asked if you have any specific requests."

He finished with a pointed look at Rangiku, who stared back at the old man a moment before replying, "Coffee, the darker, the stronger the better. I'm half-dead right here."

"Very well, Matsumoto-san," said the old man and typed something into the tablet in his hands. He seemed rather tech-savvy for an old man.

Rangiku immediately turned back to Byakuya and asked, "How do you know about Ichimaru Gin? I haven't spoken to that man in years, with good reason, mind, and Toshiro wouldn't recognise him if he saw him."

Kuchiki Byakuya may have been one of the most feared criminal prosecutors in contemporary Japan, infamous for his poker face but at this question slight colour warmed his cheeks. Rangiku thought she was going to faint. His voice was steady though, as he replied, "I had good reason for carrying out a thorough background check. I am very sure that you also did the same for me."

She shrugged and replied, "Only what I could get off of Google, which isn't the important stuff like, do you regularly pick up women in this limousine? Did you think that I would be impressed by this limousine? And who is your stylist? I could never get my hair to shine like that."

She punctuated this with a broad grin and Rukia giggled, but Byakuya did not reply. It did not matter if he had anyway. If he was going to make her uncomfortable it was only fair that she return the favour.

She would die before admitting that she was impressed by the limousine and doubly so at their destination: Seireitei Tower. Not only was the luxury high-rise known for its brand name shopping on the first three floors, the building also had at least two Michelin-starred restaurants and one of them was owned, in part anyway, by the Kuchiki family. Rangiku had often dreamed of going there but the reservation list was not only booked for the next two years it was also ridiculously exclusive. And here was she stumbling in among the movie stars and high society trophy wives, bleary-eyed, sweaty and sleepy, her hair in a messy ponytail and wearing a sinfully-short black miniskirt, hoodie unzipped low enough to reveal her generous bosom and Uggs. She felt at once outrageously smug and painfully out of place.

No one commented though, as the maître led Byakuya, Rangiku, Rukia and the elderly gentleman, now sporting a small briefcase to their table, one near the windows with a wonderful view of Tokyo Bay. There were a few wrinkled noses and piercing stares, of course, mostly from well-coiffed, finely-dressed, doll-faced women, but Rangiku let her hair down and ignored them. These women were not important. Whatever the hell Byakuya brought Rangiku here for was and that was what she needed to focus on. Besides, it was not as if she was ever going to meet any of these women again.

Byakuya let Rangiku and Rukia sit first and then he and the old man, now identified as Hara, his family steward be seated. From Google, Rangiku had learned that Byakuya had a younger, taller and quite handsome red-haired assistant, Abarai Renji, who people thought was either his lover or yakuza or both, but there was no sign of the young man now. So this was not a work-related matter then. Okay, odd.

The maître was replaced by a young waiter who said, "Your meal will be along shortly, Kuchiki-sama. Would you like some tea?"

Byakuya dismissed the boy with a wave and he scurried away as if his life depended on it. Rangiku considered this and then asked, "So, what was this proposal you had in mind?"

Byakuya, perhaps intentionally, waited until Rangiku had brought her glass of water to her lips before he replied, "I want us to get married."

Rangiku could not help it. She choked on her drink and sprayed water all over the table, and then she started coughing.

"Nii-sama!" cried Rukia. Then she was patting Rangiku on the back and scolding, albeit rather respectfully, "Perhaps you should have waited until later. Was there not an easier way of asking her?"

Wait, the girl knew? Rangiku gulped down the rest of the water as quickly as she could while her eyes watered, still coughing, and then glared at Byakuya. "What did you just say?" she asked.

Byakuya, who had not moved, though Rangiku noted that the steward had moved his briefcase from where he had rested it on the table, said, "I want us to get married. No, rather, I need us to be married in the eyes of the law and my family in order for us to proceed. I told you before that I had plans that required your assistance and you agreed to help me."

Rangiku waved away Rukia's hand—the girl was thumping her back a little too hard—and hissed, "That was because I thought it had something to do with work! What on earth could you possibly be plotting that requires me to be your wife? And what about my son?"

He nodded to Hara, who replaced the briefcase on the table, opened it and withdrew a sheaf of papers an inch thick, then Byakuya said, "In order for us to present any kind of challenge to my uncle, we need access to him. While this would not normally be a problem, my family follows some very strict codes. There are matters, places that I would simply have no access to without a wife. I intend to rid my family and Japan of this man, I cannot do such a thing without aid and you are, at this moment, my only hope."

"That's not true," said Rangiku, her mind riffling through the information from her Google search the night before. "What about that Shihouin woman? Why not one of those?" she asked, waving a hand in the direction of the other women around them. "They" were ladies of high society, women who lived comfortably in a life of luxury, worked only because they wanted to and wielded insane social power. If he was thinking along the lines that she thought he did, these were the kinds of women that would help him. Certainly not some cop from Harajuku, and absolutely not one who, with a little searching, one could find links to the yakuza. Rangiku would be the end of him. What was he thinking?

Byakuya's mouth twitched and he said, "I want no part of the Shihouin woman. _Never_ will I have her as part of my household. She is also in a long-standing relationship. You said it yourself, you are not in any way attached to Ichimaru Gin—a fact that he confirmed—and I hardly think with your skills and training that you would not be able to blend in or play the role required with great difficulty."

Rangiku had stopped listening somewhere around the time he had mentioned Gin and so said, "You saw Gin?"

At this Byakuya opened his mouth to speak, stopped, and then continued in a low voice, "It was necessary to ascertain the nature of your relationship before I proceeded with my request. He assured me that he last saw you at his arrest and not since and that he has rejected any and all attempts at communication since. He went to great pains to keep you at arm's length and would never do anything to jeopardise that."

Rangiku felt the old hurt again, the heartache she carried for Ichimaru Gin never faded, merely dulled with time and hearing again that he did not want to see her or the boy, that no, he _would not_ accept any messages or gifts, cut fresh. She sucked down a cry of pain and said, "You must be insane. You must be mad to think that I would agree to this. I have worked very hard for the career that I have and I am not prepared to give that up for anyone, not even you. And have you forgotten that I have a son? I can't just run off and marry some stranger."

"Ah, yes, young master Hitsugaya," said Hara then.

Rangiku looked over at him. She had completely forgotten that he was there. The old man smiled back at her and said, "You have a very intelligent son. Top of all of his classes, there is talk of him getting into Toudai…and that is even without the football scholarship. The Kuchiki family would of course be willing to foot the bill for his education, so to speak, and ensure that he is able to get into his course of choice."

Rangiku snapped her gaze back to Byakuya, stunned. Then she said, "You would bribe me?"

"Never," said Byakuya. "But while your son is talented…well, his chances of getting that scholarship are not very high."

And just like that, Rangiku was angry, no, furious. Who the hell did this man think he was? Well, okay, yes, he was Kuchiki Byakuya, from _that_ family with that _lineage_ and all that money but did he think he could just _buy_ Rangiku? Did he read too much into her outfit the other night? No way in hell was she going to let him buy her like some kind of whore.

She opened her mouth to tell him so and then Rukia said, "Matsumoto-san, I am sorry that we offended you but if you would please listen." Rangiku turned to the girl, the one Byakuya had adopted after his wife's death because she was his wife's sister and not his, and Rukia said, "I know that what Nii-sama, what _we_ are asking is a bit much but please understand…Uncle Kouga is working with Aizen Sosuke."

Rangiku was out of her seat and backing into the window before she could think better of it. She was not afraid of a lot of things, had never been, not even on that rainy afternoon that strange van had pulled up beside her as she trudged home soaking wet from school. She spoke her mind and mouthed off to her superiors and dressed how she wanted and once punched a teacher for calling her son _ainoko_ but Aizen Sosuke…that was a man she feared.

Hara said then, "Matsumoto-san, please…"

Rangiku looked around her to find that they were being stared at. She was making a scene. She wanted to not care but Rukia had said that man's name. She took a deep breath, held it for two beats and then released it. Then she righted her chair and settled back at the table and said, "Please don't say that man's name again."

"I am sorry," said Rukia, immediately. "But I want you to know. He…he hurt me too, maybe not as bad as you, but, well…that man has to be stopped. And if he gets his hands on Kuchiki money to do it…Japan is doomed."

That was the downside of a family being so well-connected, so wealthy, and so powerful. They had friends in very high places in government and society, friends who would come to their aid without question, links made before the samurai became the aristocrats they had been since the Edo period. Kuchiki Kouga, though he had come into that name by marriage and not birth like Byakuya, was head of one of the most prominent families in Japan. His nephew was his heir, in part because Kouga and his wife had no heir, and because Byakuya had yet to remarry after the death of his first wife and produce one. If Byakuya was going to challenge him for control of the family he needed a wife…and an heir, possibly. But what the hell made him think that Rangiku was up for that?

"This is insane," said Rangiku. She looked up at Byakuya and said, "I'm not having your kid. There needs to be a line here, i-if I'm going to do this, that's it, I'm not having your baby."

Byakuya merely shrugged and replied, "I only need you to be my wife in name."

Then Hara pushed his sheaf of paper towards her and said, "If you would like to go over the contract, we are quite willing to give you some time. Do you have a lawyer you would like to consult? As they would explain to you this is a very straightforward marriage contract with some clauses for confidentiality and finances. Of course, Byakuya-sama will see to it that you and your son are well compensated."

Rangiku had read the words "Certificate of Marriage" at the top of the sheaf and her mind blanked out. What the hell was she doing? What the hell was this?

But then the waiter had returned and she was forced to whisk the paper off the table and into her bag. They all sat together quietly while the food was laid out, drinks poured and the waiter asked again if they needed anything. Rangiku, salivating at the aroma of breakfast after the long, boring night that she had just had, shook her head. Byakuya dismissed the young man and waited until they were alone again to say, "I apologise for the way that I have presented this to you, Lieutenant, but you must understand that I want to act quickly. This weekend the family is to have its quarterly retreat and meeting at our ancestral estate and I hope to present my new wife there. This way you shall meet the key players in what is to come and, since Kouga cannot resist showing off, a few of his allies in government and their wives."

Rangiku just nodded, more focussed on what she wanted to have first, the soup or just go straight for the eggs? This must have been a tactic too, taking her to breakfast after work when she was very hungry and therefore vulnerable.

"Kouga is expected to announce his intention to pursue political office, Prime Minister of Japan, and I need to upstage that first of all, by showing up, secondly, with wife in tow, and third, with an announcement of my own. You are only required to stand with me and act as expected of any Japanese wife," he said.

At this Rangiku looked up at him and said, "I have not agreed to anything yet. Hold your horses there, cowboy. Also, I have never been married before."

"That will not be a problem," said Hara, smiling. It was a bit unnerving.

"What makes you think you're going to fool your family or Kouga anyway?" she asked, deciding to start without him.

"My uncle does not see me as a threat, or at least, he did not until quite recently. I suspect it has something to do with his lack of heir and the factions of the family that favour me…even with my predilection to 'unsuitable' women," he replied.

That was right, his late wife and adopted sister came from a background quite similar to Rangiku's. They would not be too alarmed then, to see that he had married beneath him again, and that this one had a career.

"I'm not giving up my job," Rangiku said.

"I don't expect you to," said Byakuya. "I have staff to take care of my household. You would only be required to attend a handful of important events with me."

Rangiku considered this and then said, "We are going to tell my son the whole truth, together. And anywhere I go, he goes."

"Of course, of course," said Byakuya. "I would not expect you to lie. But, ah, there is one more thing."

Rangiku looked up at him just as Hara laid a small velvet box onto the table. They all looked at the box, and then Rangiku said, "I did not agree to anything yet."

"No, you have not," said Byakuya, and then Hara opened the box.

A platinum band, encrusted with diamonds and sapphires. The wife of someone like Kuchiki Byakuya would have a pretty ring. Matsumoto Rangiku also liked that it was flashy, the kind of sparkly thing she would look at it in windows and dream about getting until she remembered that in her line of work it was too flashy. She looked up at him again and said, "I can't wear that at work."

"Ah," said Hara, and he produced another box. The ring in this one was simple, a plain gold band that she could wear anyway, that announced her change in status without being too loud about it. No one would complain. Then she realised that once she signed those papers in her bag she would not be able to go undercover or do a lot of the things she sometimes had to for work. Everyone would see her face. Certainly she had seen Byakuya's on the TV from time to time since childhood when he wore shorts with his suits and a cute hat over the most adorable pair of chubby cheeks.

She reached for the first box and Haru withdrew the other. He did it without comment, and Rangiku got the feeling that even if she had not signed the papers yet, she may as well have said "yes". Damn it.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Hi hi, chapter two! This will not go the way of that other story. Title change because I kind of hated the last one. **_

_**Disclaimer: Soo not mine. Just playing. **_

**Ni**

"RANGIKU!"

Rangiku jerked awake and nearly tumbled out of bed. As it was, she caught herself at the last minute, snatched the gun from her nightstand and raced for the living room. That was Toshiro's voice.

She rushed into the main room of their 2LDK and skidded to a halt. Her son was fine. He stood in the middle of the living room glaring at her, white hair wild about his head, teal blue eyes narrowed, still dressed in his uniform and holding a sheet of paper. There was no one else around, no tatted-up gun men, no disapproving nurses with slick talk trying to take her baby away, and no Aizen. She lowered her gun, ran her free hand through her hair and asked, "Ne, Shiro-chan, what's that?"

"Don't call me that!" he snapped, furious. She just grinned at him. She loved when he was angry; it was like watching a frustrated little puppy snapping at her heels. Then she realised what he was holding and gulped. Oops.

"Rangiku, what is this?" he demanded, shoving the certificate at her.

It was her copy of the marriage certificate, already signed and stamped and secured in part, in the government register. The next and possibly last time, she would write her name as "Matsumoto Rangiku" was when she entered it into the Kuchiki records. To her son, she said, "What does it look like?"

Toshiro went even redder, Rangiku imagined she could see the steam rising from his ears, and snapped, "A marriage certificate! Which is odd, Rangiku, because you're not married! And certainly not to someone named Ku—"

He paused and looked at the document again. His right eye twitched and Rangiku wondered if she had finally gone too far and broke his big, precious brain. She liked to test the limits from time to time—to her having a baby was less like having a living doll and more a guinea pig—and so far the most he had done was scream at her and retreat to his bedroom. Now though…

"Rangiku…am I reading this right? Does this say 'Kuchiki Byakuya'? Or am I hallucinating?" Toshiro asked voice low and deadly calm.

At that exact moment there was a knock at the door. Perfect! Rangiku skipped past her son without a word to go open it but then nearly fell over when she saw who was on the other side.

In a more casual suit than the one he had worn that morning, this one lacking a tie, Kuchiki Byakuya, her new husband, stood alone in the hall outside her flat, framed by the late evening sunset. She had told him earlier that they needed to tell Toshiro together what they were going to do and he had come. That earned him more than a few brownie points, not that it mattered though.

"May I come in?" he asked, politely.

He had not yet noticed the white tornado building behind her. Rangiku was very conscious too that she now only wore a pair of shorts and a camisole. She smiled, nodded and said, "Welcome to my humble abode…danna-sama."

His eyes widened slightly at the address but he stepped into the house nevertheless. That was when Toshiro screamed, "YOU?!"

She shut the door behind Byakuya before turning to her son and said, "Now, Toshiro is that any way to greet your new father?"

There was a moment's stunned silence, as if the world had held its breath, where Byakuya and Toshiro stared at each other and Rangiku grinned at them, and then Toshiro exploded again, "RANGIKU!"

It took a few minutes but eventually Rangiku got Toshiro calmed down enough for her to usher Byakuya to a seat on their sole sofa and then set off to the kitchen to make them all tea. The boy was still very, very angry and shocked but Rangiku had no doubt that the worst was over. Fighting with Toshiro was less of a two-way battle and more a series of strategic attacks spread out over time. And she never gave him enough time to recover from one attack before she launched into the other.

When Rangiku walked back into the living room, Byakuya and Toshiro were looking anywhere but at each other. They had not spoken since she went into the kitchen though, so Rangiku knew that it was not because they had said anything odd. She sat down between them and set out the tea, pouring three cups and giving the first to Byakuya.

He accepted it without a word but then Toshiro said, "How could you have gotten married like this? Are you pregnant?"

"Toshiro!" Rangiku snapped. She did not often scold him but she would not tolerate rudeness.

He refused to be cowed but he did look away and she said, "I'm not. Actually, that's why Kuchiki-san is here, to explain what's going on."

Toshiro said nothing but she knew he was listening. Rangiku turned to Byakuya and said, "I think you should tell him, you know, since you're now head of household."

"He is n—" Toshiro started but cut off at Rangiku's glare. She had pushed him hard today, herself too for she was still reeling from the last few hours. She had decided to sign the papers after breakfast, without a lawyer present, which was stupid, and then posed for a few pictures at the government building in a new white Fendi dress and Christian Louboutin shoes Byakuya had bought at the Seireitei mall without so much as asking for the price. The pictures were necessary for the deception but she could not help the twinge of discomfort that followed.

Rangiku had long ago decided that she was never getting married, no respectable man wanted a woman with a child out of wedlock, no matter the circumstances, and especially since she had had him so young. No, it was not her fault what happened to her, but explaining it sometimes brought the other reaction, pity, and then they would become unbearable to be around until she was forced to end the relationship. But she had never been able to escape the daydream of a lovely white dress and a reception hall decorated with more flowers than the Imperial Gardens. It had made her hate Byakuya a little, which was foolish because she could have refused him, but then she remembered that this was only a temporary thing, of course she could become the wealthy divorcee and snag a much better husband and wedding of her dreams in future and forgot all about being angry.

It helped considerably too that mere moments after they walked out of the registry building he told her that it was not necessary to consummate the marriage later, or at all. The trauma of trying to anyway, knowing that she did not love him or really wanted to would have killed her.

She turned to Byakuya then—her _husband_, she reminded herself—and caught a glimpse of platinum on his left hand. Her cheeks reddened immediately. She had removed her ring almost as soon as he had dropped her off at her apartment, though not before it caught the eye of one of her neighbours, that nosy Mrs Ikeda who was always up in Rangiku's business anyway, but he was still wearing his. How had he explained that to his co-workers and subordinates? Then she remembered the press release Hara had drafted and felt overwhelmed all over again. What the hell had she done?

"Hitsugaya Toshiro," said Byakuya.

Rangiku jerked out of her thoughts just as her son lifted his head at the sound of his name. Byakuya straightened a little in his seat and said, "Let me begin with an apology. It was inexcusable of me to ask for your mother's hand without first speaking with you."

Toshiro looked away again and muttered, "You don't need my permission. I'm just the _kid_."

Byakuya did not smile but Rangiku thought she could hear it in his voice as he replied, "Be that as it may, I am the intruder. This was my idea and I persuaded your mother into it without consideration for her life. Let me reassure you that her first thought in this is you. She would never have agreed to this marriage if I had not given my word that you and your education are secure. I see that you found our contract and if you read it through you will find that I have made arrangements to compensate you both for the inconvenience…for my convenience."

Toshiro looked back up at him then and said, "I don't care about compensation. Rangiku is smart but she can be silly and do things without thinking them through sometimes. You're one of the most powerful men in Japan; you can have anyone and anything that you want. What do you want with my nobody mother? And don't tell me that you two suddenly met and fell in love because Rangiku doesn't believe in that nonsense and neither do I."

Rangiku felt a surge of pride at her son, for all the good that his protests would do. Then Byakuya said, "I was about to get to that. As I said before, this was my idea and for my convenience. You know of me, so you know of my uncle Kouga. A few weeks ago he made an attempt to destroy my career through his links with the yakuza. He sent me along with an associate of his to an establishment that was under surveillance by the police. Your mother saved me from much embarrassment and complete ruin. When I should have simply thanked her and walk away, I saw an opportunity to prevent my uncle from doing something like this ever again."

Toshiro glanced over at Rangiku and asked, "What's in it for us, for her?"

Byakuya held the boy's gaze and said, "Aizen Sosuke."

Toshiro blinked, considered this and turned to Rangiku, "Isn't that man dead?"

Rangiku closed her eyes, breathed in deeply, and said, "In exile. Rumour has it he has recently returned to Japan and is making contact with former allies. Toshiro…I can't let that man get to you."

She could feel Byakuya's gaze on her. He had not known the depths of her reasoning behind agreeing to marry him. She was not some blushing maiden who got distracted by the gleam of a man like Kuchiki Byakuya. If she was going to align herself with a powerful, dangerous man like this one she was going in with her eyes open and she was going to get what she wanted out of it while she could. Then Toshiro said, "But he doesn't care about me. It was you…and Gin."

Rangiku opened her eyes to look at her son and said, "That was before he found out about you."

Her son's eyes widened, but it was Byakuya who asked, "Is he…?"

"No, that man, Toshiro's father, whoever he was, is dead. Gin killed him, it's one of the reasons he's in prison," replied Rangiku. She exhaled heavily and said, "He found out about Toshiro because of Gin's rebellion, so don't feel too badly, Kuchiki-san, because I did this with a reason too."

Byakuya just looked at her and then Toshiro asked, "So you're not really married?"

"We are," said Byakuya. "I need a legal wife for this to work, for my family will do a background search. I suspect they already have, for word should have reached them by now that I was seen having breakfast with an unfamiliar woman, my sister and my steward this morning at the family restaurant. I expect too, that I was followed here. However, that is of little consequence. I did not come here merely to introduce myself, but also to retrieve you and your mother and bring you both to my home at Seireitei Tower. After all, we are now family and cannot be expected to live apart."

Rangiku had been expecting something along those lines since that morning, but having been drop-dead tired, had put it out of her mind. Now she looked around the slightly messy apartment, kept somewhat presentable only through Toshiro's efforts, for she had given up on housework many years ago, and said, "Oh."

Toshiro turned to her sharply and snapped, "You did not know that?"

She laughed and waved away his anger. "No, no, I did, I did…I just kind of, you know, forgot."

"You forgot?" said Toshiro, eyes narrowed in anger again. "How could you forget such a thing?"

Byakuya interjected then, "It is no trouble. I will send someone around to pack up the rest of your things and collect them for storage. For tonight I suggest you take only what you need immediately."

Rangiku looked over at him to find that he was looking over her and Toshiro, expression pensive, "I will have to get you both new things. If you are truly my wife you cannot be expected to dress as you did before."

"I have nice things!" Rangiku protested, irrationally upset now about having to suddenly leave.

"I am sure you do," said Byakuya, expression unchanged.

Rangiku took a breath again, turned back to Toshiro and asked, "Are you okay with this?"

Toshiro stared back at her for nearly a minute before replying, "Do I have a choice?"

She smiled at him and said, "Nope."

**0o0**

Renji had called on the drive back to Seireitei Tower to inform Byakuya that all arrangements had been made at the apartment for the arrival of the new wife and stepson. The people to pack up Rangiku's old apartment were already on the way and would be finished by morning, at which time the landlord would be handed a generous cheque for the inconvenience. He still sounded incredulous, and Byakuya thought, fingering the metal band around his hand for the first time in years, that the feeling was mutual. But he needed a wife; this coup would never succeed in the eyes of the family without one, even if he planned on never laying a finger on her.

There was a crowd at the entrance to Seireitei Tower. Some movie star or the other had moved into the floor below Byakuya's and had opted to take the public entrance through the mall. Byakuya directed the driver to take the limousine around to the underground parking. Toshiro had dozed off almost as soon as they were seated in the car, head against his mother's generous bosom, and arms around her waist. She had arranged the boy so though and Byakuya suspected that Toshiro would not be pleased when he awoke. Looking at mother and child, Byakuya could see some resemblances but nothing definitive. How much of the boy came from his unknown belated father? Byakuya was said to be the splitting image of Kuchiki Sojun and now that he was older and had the pictures to compare it was clear. But Byakuya had inherited his grandfather's grey eyes, not his father's blue ones, and nothing of his mother.

Toshiro took a loud breath and shifted in his mother's arms. She waited until he settled again to run a hand through his hair, then bent forward and kissed his forehead. Then she said, "If he was awake he would be so furious. He does not like to be held, or touched. Not since he was a baby. There were people, evil demons who called themselves mothers who liked to speculate and decide things on his own…he had been shunned. He refused to let me change his name when we moved out of Granny Hitsugaya's and insisted on calling me by my first name. This is the only time I can hold him."

She had spoken softly, smiling all the while at her boy. She loved him deeply, that much was clear, despite the horror of his origin. How had she managed it? Most women in her position would have tried to get rid of their rapist's child at the earliest opportunity, and Byakuya could not blame them, for who wanted to endure possibly seeing their attacker's face for the rest of their life? And Rangiku had only been thirteen, barely more than a child herself. How had she survived to this point?

Byakuya did not ask though, and so they entered the underground parking in silence. Then Rangiku woke Toshiro while the waiting valet got their bags and Byakuya led them up to his apartment. Byakuya's suite took up two floors, with floor to ceiling windows along one wall of the great room, marble floors, a great balcony overlooking the main room, five bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, an office, a stainless steel chef's kitchen, with chef, Matsura, and a large media centre that was only used by Rukia when she was home from university. She was waiting for them in the foyer.

"Hello!" she greeted, cheerily.

Hara stood beside her with Matsura the chef, Zhen Jing-pei, the housekeeper, and Kanade, Rukia's maid who would now act as Rangiku's. They bowed in greeting, which made both Rangiku and Toshiro blush, and then Rukia said, "I will show Toshiro-kun to his bedroom."

Toshiro started a little at being addressed and turned to his mother. Rangiku nodded, smiling encouragingly, to which he scowled and said to Rukia, "Okay."

"I shall prepare you some tea," said Matsura, heading off to the kitchen.

"Your room has already been prepared, let me put away your things," said Kanade. She stepped forward with the housekeeper and took Rangiku's bags from the valet.

"And I will give you a tour," said Byakuya to Rangiku when they were alone. She nodded and let him lead her away.

Rangiku did not disguise her amazement at the grandeur of the apartment, though Toshiro had been more begrudging and had tried not to show his eagerness as Rukia led him away. Rangiku could not resist touching the pictures, most of which were of Rukia at various tourists sites all over the world from the age of ten when he had adopted her to her first day at Toudai; ornaments, collected on some of those same trips for Byakuya had refused to take anything from Senbonzakura when he left it, and furniture, relatively new, changed annually for the New Year. As they ended the tour, Byakuya said to Rangiku, "I have made arrangements for you to have the second largest bedroom. I am not usually home until late so there will be no problem of me disturbing your rest. Rukia is only home every other weekend or so for she has her own apartment nearer to campus."

"Okay," said Rangiku, looking past him to the glittering city lights. They had come to a stop in the living room. The staff had not removed Hisana's shrine but for the first time since they moved into the apartment, someone had closed the doors of the cabinet it was in. Byakuya's twisted the ring on his hand again and looked over at his new wife.

"I have made arrangements with your commanding officer to have you free for the weekend, and tomorrow you should do the same for Toshiro…that is, unless you intend to leave him with Mrs Hitsugaya."

She did not look at him but said in a low voice, "He will stay with Mrs Hitsugaya…she…she's dying."

He paused, stunned and then asked, "Does he know?"

She shook her head and walked away from him to the window. She wore tights and a long, Empire waist top with a plunging v-neckline, her shoulder-length blonde hair falling softly about her head. As she moved under the down-lighters, Byakuya caught a glint of gold at her neck that disappeared into her décolletage. She said, "We have been trying to find a way to tell him for some time now…she was too old to raise a baby when she took us in, far too old to run around behind a damaged teenage girl and her fat infant. But Gin said…" She stopped, took a breath and said, "We have to tell him soon. I keep saying that but we're running out of time."

Byakuya remembered well how that went, and changed the subject. "There is much to be done before this weekend. Because we only just got married there are a lot of things that it is expected for you to be ignorant about. However, some other things are not. I have already spread information that suggests we crossed paths at work and have met from time to time since."

"And our sleeping arrangements at the estate?" she asked without looking back at him.

He joined her before the window and said, "As expected for a married couple. My family will be suspicious of you and me and more so after the announcement but that is only for this weekend and on occasion thereafter."

She wrinkled her nose and said, "I should warn you, I sleep in the nude."

He caught the reflection of her mischievous twinkle in her eyes in the glass and replied, "Even better."

She stepped away from him a little and sighed. Then she said, "Ah, Nanao is going to kill me."

That perked his interest. He turned to her, "Nanao?"

"My friend, Ise Nanao, we went to high school together," said Rangiku,

"Ise Nanao?" repeated Byakuya, slightly shocked.

She looked over at him, "The one and only. We've been friends a few years now, best friends, though her boss is a cad."

"That he is," said Byakuya, thinking of the lecherous, drunken lout that somehow managed to get himself elected Minister of Justice. "We should have them over for dinner."

Her gaze sharpened and she asked, "Why?"

He turned to face her fully and said, "Your best friend happens to be deputy to a very important man and a prosecutor I have had the pleasure of working with from time to time. I am surprised that my people did not know this but this is wonderful news. It lends credibility to our back-story."

"Oh," said Rangiku, looking away from him. "As long as Kyouraku-san keeps his hands to himself then, it's fine by me."

Byakuya studied her profile. She was not relaxed, stood away from him but not too far. It was not an invitation but not exactly a warning either. She may not have entirely believed his declaration that he would not touch her. He thought back to the information his people had gathered about her. No boyfriend all the way through middle school, high school, the academy and after she started working. She went out with friends but never went home with any of them, not anyone they could find anyway, and mostly spent her time going to kabuki theatre and concerts with her son. She had trained to be a geisha before joining the academy but dropped out before her debut without explanation. Byakuya took an experimental step closer and she stiffened.

He asked, "If it bothers you this much still, why did you choose that particular department?"

She breathed out, as if she had been holding her breath since he moved, and said, "I have to stop this from happening to other girls. There was no one to save me; even if Gin had come up earlier they probably would have killed him and then me too."

Hisana had been working at a hostess club when Byakuya first met her, one night out with friends from Toudai. Her petite features were far better suited to becoming a geisha than Rangiku's voluptuous ones, but Hisana had had a different life. He said, "I told you before, I will not touch you. You are free to live your life as you please except that it would embarrass me or derail our plans."

Rangiku smiled at him and said, "I'm not some damaged stray you picked up. I'm a big girl, I can handle it. The only things I care about are my son…and now, well, stopping that bastard Aizen."

Byakuya did not miss that she had yet to relax. He said, "I need you to understand that I will not hurt you. I—"

"Hey, hey," she said, cutting him off, gaze narrowed. "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. If you get too handsy I'll just shoot you and become a rich widow."

Byakuya quirked an eyebrow, stood back and folded him arms. "Oh? Is that your plan? Did you read our marriage contract? All of my fortune goes to Rukia if you try anything untoward."

Rangiku shifted her weight to one leg and put a hand on her hip. "Oh no, I'm a cop, they would never suspect me and even if they did a generous donation here and there should take care of that. Sleep with your eyes open, buddy."

Byakuya snorted, he could not help it. Rangiku went wide-eyed at the sound, blinked and then burst out laughing. She had a beautiful laugh for she did so with abandon, throwing her head back, mouth wide open. Byakuya had not missed that his new wife was gorgeous. There was not a person he had encountered all that day with her that did not agree with him. If they had not been staring at her bosom or rear or legs, they seemed wholly captivated by her face, the bright blue eyes, the golden hair, the mole sinfully close to her full lips. Standing beside him as one of the new faces of the Kuchiki Corporation, Byakuya was very sure that he would have no trouble winning over the people that mattered.

It was almost a pity that she was not his type. Small, delicate Hisana, with her traditional Japanese beauty and mannerisms was the kind of woman Byakuya preferred, even now simply the thought of his late wife would set his heart racing. Rangiku…needed no protector, and being so flashy and non-traditional, would no doubt grate his relatives' nerves for every moment that she was in their presence. With time Byakuya could even grow to like her and until then he would not make her unhappy, that much he could manage.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I cannot resist this story and I have other things I should be doing. This got unexpectedly dark a bit here. **_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing.**_

**San**

The press release had gone out the evening before so that it would make it into the next day's society pages and instead became front page news. Splashed across the front of almost every major newspaper, with a picture of the newly married couple the headline practically screamed with the astonishment of a million broken-hearted maidens, "KUCHIKI BYAKUYA MARRIES AGAIN!"

Rangiku only glimpsed the cover of the paper as she bustled past Toshiro at the breakfast table where Matsura—she now had a chef!—was testing their preferences. Rangiku had ruffled Toshiro's hair and whispered to Matsura, "Watermelon, he can't get enough of it" and then hurried out.

Her car had been abandoned at her apartment building but Rangiku took the train and the bus to get it, determined not to leave Haineko after years of loyalty. She was rewarded with a tense trip where strangers snuck glances at her after they realised just who was sitting with them on the ride. She had worn her ring too, for she could not be seen without it today, though the rest of her was still "policewoman chic": no makeup, unobtrusive hairstyle, jeans, sensible shoes, vest, jacket and her duffel. Thankfully there were no strangers at the apartment building, though the neighbours peeked out their windows and she thought she caught a few camera flashes. Rangiku slipped into Haineko's worn-out driver's seat with a happy sigh.

Then she drove into work and into a lightning storm.

The press had gathered, with paparazzi and curious bystanders, just to see Kuchiki Byakuya's new wife go to work. By the end of the day everything from her appearance to her career would be dissected on every social platform from here to Hokkaido and back again. They would know about her son. They would know about her parents. They would know about Gin. But Byakuya had surely anticipated this and gave no indication that he was troubled when she left that morning and so Rangiku donned her largest pair of sunglasses, hopped out of her car and headed into the station.

They had once arrested a famous actor in a domestic incident that had spilled out into the street and eventually involved neighbours, passers-by and a few officers before it could be stopped. The whole station had known beforehand that he would be coming in, along with his still raging lover, and yet when he stepped through the doors the whole place went so quiet, a pen dropping echoed with the force of a thunderclap. The same thing happened now, as Rangiku pushed her way into the building and pulled off her sunglasses to find someone to scold for letting the press block the path. Absolute silence, deafening in the way it filled the room completely.

Rangiku paused, the words of her cheery scold dying on her lips before she could get them out. The others, criminals on their way to their cells and people who managed to fight their way in to make a report alike stared back at her. The ring on her left ring finger suddenly felt obscene, too flashy, too much for her and this place and what they were trying to do. Rangiku squeezed her left hand into a fist and pulled it back a little to be hidden by the folds of her short, fluttery, blue floral skirt.

Then a short, brown-haired girl in uniform popped into Rangiku's line of sight and said, "Hey, congratulations, Ran-chan!"

Dear sweet Momo, she always knew what to say. Rangiku launched herself onto the girl and pulled her into a tight embrace that nearly took the both of them to the floor. Momo squeaked, alarmed, but Rangiku hugged her tight, as much for breaking the tension and thereby giving an opening, as for support. When Rangiku finally released her, the girl was breathing hard and chiding, "Mat—_Kuchiki_-san, you have to remember that other people need to breathe when you hug them."

"Oh, well, you know me, can't help it," said Rangiku, grinning, indicating her breasts with a wave of her hand. Then she looked around to the others and asked, "What, you all want hugs too? I would be willing to share but I don't think my new husband would approve. You've heard of him, I'm sure. The Courtroom Samurai? The man who takes apart defence strategies so good it's as if he applied the Death of a Thousand Cuts?"

"_Oh, bite me, Ran-chan!_" someone called, and just like that the room went back to normal. Phones rang and were answered, keyboards were tapped, papers were shuffled, keys were jangled, complaints were lodged, and coffee resumed its perpetual bubbling.

Rangiku kept her hold on Momo though as she led the girl to her desk and sat her down. Momo went willingly, if a little confused, and Rangiku was grateful for her silence. Rangiku took her own seat, dropped her bag on the floor and said, "Hey now, why's everyone being weird? Prosecutors marry investigators all the time. We work in the same industry."

Momo dropped the innocent act, folded her arms, lifted an eyebrow and said, "We know you. You don't date, period. Then one day you head out of work, get picked up in a limo and come back the next day married? No way in hell."

Rangiku was tempted to lift an eyebrow of her own. Momo had lived with Granny Hitsugaya too, she and Toshiro were practically siblings, and here she was making girl talk and swearing as if an adult. But she was not a child anymore and so Rangiku asked, "Would you believe a whirlwind romance?"

"_Where is she_?" demanded a familiar voice. Rangiku's heart skipped a beat. _Oh no_. That was Nanao.

She tried to duck out of sight, if only to give herself a few extra seconds but then Nanao had her by the arm and was dragging her out of her seat and to the back and the interrogation rooms. Rangiku tried to plead for mercy, pointing out that the rooms were monitored and this was not really the place for it, but that only made Nanao change direction and put her into an unused office. Or at least, it was unused once the sole occupant, a rather surprised-looking sergeant vacated it.

Momo slipped in just as he went out and so was in time to stand smirking while Nanao started in on Rangiku with, "How the hell did you even meet _Kuchiki Byakuya_?"

Rangiku tried not to shrink under the force of her friend's glare, made even more threatening by the light reflecting off the woman's glasses and said, "We worked a case together. Oh, I'm inviting you to dinner. You can bring Shunsui, but next weekend because we have a family thing on this one."

Nanao's eyes narrowed even further and she said, "You have a 'family thing' with the Kuchiki clan?"

Rangiku's grin stretched her mouth painfully but she would not dare retract it while her friend was hovering over her. Instead she replied, "Well, I'm his wife now so…."

Nanao scoffed and stepped back. Rangiku straightened. Both women glanced over at Momo, who waved cheerily, and then Nanao asked Rangiku, "Are you pregnant?"

"What? No!" cried Rangiku. "What is it with you and Toshiro? Come on, Nanao, you know me. I don't talk about my relationships, is it so hard to believe that I could have been dating him without you knowing?"

"Yes," said Nanao without hesitation. "But this time you didn't. Listen, I've worked with him a few things and as far as I can see this guy is fatally celibate. What did you do?"

Rangiku folded her arms trying to project offense and said, "Nothing."

Nanao stared at her for nearly a minute before exhaling heavily. Then she walked around the sergeant's desk and fell into his chair. Rangiku watched her and waited. After a moment, Nanao said, "Kuchiki Byakuya is not a man to be trifled with. You've heard the stories, and those are nowhere near to seeing him in real life. He barely speaks, imagine that, a prosecutor who barely says a word, but he can imply a lot with a gesture and with silence. He can have defendants and witnesses tied up before they can blink. He is so stone cold I saw him stare down a crying girl until she was forced to turn to the judge for help. And you…are nothing like that. You're cheery and bright. Being with that man…he could crush you, Rangiku. He could hurt you badly."

Rangiku thought back to the man she had left at the house that morning. He had been very gentle the evening before while he showed her around the house but he had not come out of his room to see her off. Not that she had been expecting him to but she thought that he would have. Had that hurt? No, it had not. He did not seem capable of it once he was dressed down and keeping in her line of sight so she would not skitter away at the slightest movement. Her cheeks flushed with her embarrassment at the way her heart had begun racing once Rukia had taken Toshiro away.

To Nanao she said, "He's not like that all the time."

Nanao went wide-eyed and then threw her head back and groaned. Then she said, "Of course you would say that. You've already convinced yourself that he's some gallant protector. There are…rumours about how Rukia lived before she went away to Toudai and he left the estate. That girl never smiled all through her high school years, and she worked very hard to please him. I have seen him attack defendants and their witnesses. He is ruthless and cold and heartless and you won't—tell me that you're not doing this because that old witch called you 'past due'."

Momo floated into Rangiku's peripheral vision. The girl had a way of doing that, knowing that it annoyed, and Rangiku replied, "No. I told you, we met, there was mutual attraction."

Nanao straightened in the seat, adopted what Rangiku liked to call her "Prosecution Face" and said, "Okay, suppose I believe you about this thing with Kuchiki Byakuya—this is real, right? There is an actual document of marriage somewhere?"

Rangiku gave her a pointed look. Nanao rolled her eyes and straightened her glasses, and continued, "Right, so you and Kuchiki Byakuya got married yesterday…what are you doing here today? Shouldn't you be on some exotic honeymoon somewhere?"

Ah yes, Rangiku had forgotten about that. She looked away from Nanao and said, "We both have work, we cannot just leave. That will come later." She made a mental note to ask Byakuya what he intended to do about it.

Momo chirped up then, asking, "So, is he just as cold and heartless in the b—"

Rangiku cut her off with a glare and said, "Yeah, I'm definitely not talking about that with you."

"Is he?" asked Nanao, and there was a hint of humour in her voice.

Rangiku scowled and said, "That reminds me, I need to speak to Yamamoto about time off. We have to visit with his family this weekend and I need time to shop before that."

At this Nanao flew out of her seat, finger pointed at Rangiku, gleam of enlightenment in her eyes and snapped, "That's _it_! That's why you married him! You! I thought you were better than that! You're going to use him as your personal ATM!"

Rangiku went wide-eyed at the accusation and then burst out laughing. Nanao did not move, and Momo bounced eagerly where she stood in her excitement. After a moment Rangiku wiped happy tears from her eyes and said, "You _do_ know me better than that, but he gave me a card. Can't blame a girl for using it. And besides, it would take a lot more skill on my part to bankrupt a man like Kuchiki Byakuya while shopping."

"I heard that he bought his little sister controlling shares in the company that produces Chappy merchandise because she stared too long through their display window," said Momo.

Rangiku and Nanao both looked over at her. She beamed at them and said, "It was all over the news after you got married. Some of the stations were looking for anything they could get their hands on and this is ancient because he did that when she left high school."

Rangiku turned to Momo and said, "See, he's worse than me. You should see his, well _our_ apartment. It's like staying at a five-star hotel, and he's got 'staff' and everything."

Nanao groaned but then Momo said, "Oh, he's got _staff_ alright. Do you know that he's done a few magazine spreads, one of which caught him at the beach? But you should know all about that already right, Kuchiki-san?"

Rangiku and Nanao exchanged a glance and then both raced to the computer on the desk.

**0o0**

Rangiku never did get to see any pictures, particularly since Yamamoto came in shortly after they got the webpage up and chased them out of the sergeant's office. Then Nanao had to go back to work, Momo had to go on patrol and Rangiku was set to organising the cases on the desk in order for her boss to even consider listening to her request for leave. It took Rangiku less than ten minutes to find a junior officer to do it for her instead and then she snuck out to accompany Hisagi Shuuhei and the ever dour Kira Izuru on a crime scene. It was her line of work: a young woman, possibly a working girl, found murdered in a love hotel.

Or at least that was the plan. Slipping out of the station had not been much a problem, though Hisagi had been a little more reluctant than usual to let her come along, and would not even look her in the face. Kira had also given her a disapproving look, which she ignored as she hopped into the back of their SUV and slid down across the backseat. It was a strangely silent ride, with Hisagi staring steadfastly on the road ahead and Kira only grunting responses to her questions about the case.

They were two streets away from the love hotel when Hisagi suddenly said, "When did you meet Kuchiki Byakuya? I've never seen that man anywhere near the station and I definitely don't remember us working any cases with him."

Rangiku had been waiting for one of them to ask. She would probably be answering that question for weeks. Thankfully, she and Byakuya had worked out their response in detail the night before. It was, to a certain extent, the truth.

"His people were working a case that ran into one of mine," she said, smiling. "We ended up spending a lot of time together after that."

Hisagi scoffed and Kira glanced over at him a moment before asking, "When was that?"

"Oh, I don't know, some months ago?" said Rangiku, pretending to think about it.

"What case was that?" asked Kira.

Rangiku did not like his tone. She caught his eye in the rearview mirror, put up her cheeriest smile and asked, "What is this, the Inquisition?"

It was Hisagi who said, "No, damn it, Matsumoto, what do you know about this guy? And don't tell us the stuff everybody already knows, what do you know about him personally? You never mentioned him before, never hinted at seeing anyone, and the next thing we know you're married to one of the most important men in Japan?"

Rangiku folded her arms, feigned offense becoming real, but still managed to say with a smile, "I know, it's like a fairytale isn't it? And he's supposed to take me shopping tomorrow."

Kira scowled at her and snapped, "Be serious. You got married yesterday. Has he met your son? Does he know you have a son?"

Rangiku rolled her eyes and snapped, "Don't be ridiculous. Is this really any of your business anyway?"

Kira clamped his mouth shut and then Hisagi announced, "We're here."

Rangiku did not wait for them, even if this was their case rather than hers. She was almost at the love hotel's entrance when someone said, "_Hey, isn't that Matsumoto-san_?"

And then Hisagi was there marching her past the crime scene tape and a waiting uniformed officer just as the first camera flashes went off. He released his grip on her arm almost as soon as she was inside then turned to her and snapped, "You should not be here, you're compromising my crime scene."

She blinked at him, then straightened, folded her arms and snapped back, "How exactly am I doing that when I just got here with you?"

Kira came in then, shaking his head and saying, "It looks like you've got a lot of fans, Rangiku-san."

She waved her hand at him, and turned to go to the receptionist already waiting to take them up to the floor where the young woman lay. "I don't care about that," said Rangiku. "What happened to the girl?"

"Why did you marry that guy?" asked Hisagi.

Rangiku stopped and turned back to him. He had his hands in the pockets of his coat and his gaze trained on her face. She dropped her gaze from his and said, "I told you b—"

He exhaled and said, "Forget it. Let's go." Then he walked on past her without waiting for a response.

Rangiku looked down at the ring on her hand, then up at Kira. He was shaking his head at her. She scowled. "What, you think I'm some kind of gold digger?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, Matsumoto-san. And neither does Hisagi…you're not dumb, you know why."

She put on her cheeriest smile. "I know what I'm doing. So how about you two support me, okay?"

Kira was unmoved. He pushed past her to follow Hisagi, saying as he went, "I hope for your sake that you really do."

The scene in the hotel room was worse than Rangiku had been expecting and she had seen many terrible things. She walked into the room, saw the blood on the walls and then Hisagi pushed her out into the hall and shut the door behind them. He waited until she got her breathing under control again to say, "This is not your case. Just go back and finish what you were doing and I'll keep you updated in case it runs into anything you were working on before."

She glared at him, though she knew that he had done nothing wrong, and snapped, "I'm only going to be gone for four days, not forever!"

"Yea, but Ran-chan…" he said and he waved his hands at her state.

She scoffed and turned away from him. She was not going to be dismissed by a junior detective, no matter that she was his senior by two weeks. "I can handle it," she said without turning back.

Hisagi exhaled and said in a voice heavy with frustration, "Yes, you can. But the last thing I want is to get a phone call from your new husband threatening me for sending you back shaking like a leaf. It's why I took this case before you came in and then you just had to jump into my van an—"

"Wait, shut up," she said, turning around again. "You took this case…what did I miss in there?"

The expression on his face was the only answer Rangiku needed. She pushed past him back to the room and threw open the door, startling the techies setting up their equipment and stirring the dead girl's bleached blonde hair with a sudden burst of wind. She had seen a lot more than blood in her first look but now the second revealed a few very obvious things. She stepped back out of the room and looked at Hisagi, shaking so bad she had to squeeze her hands at her chest.

Hisagi started, "Rangik—"

Rangiku glanced up at him, and then turned around and walked out of the hotel.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Sorry for late submission, was on holiday. Had a blast.**__** Thank you guys for keeping up with this story, it's a lot of fun to write. **_

_**Disclaimer: Characters and universe borrowed. **_

**Shi**

"_A world of grief and pain; flowers bloom, even then…_ Kobayashi Issa is that?" asked the man seated at Byakuya's desk.

Byakuya, only just having entered the office replied, "Yes."

"He was a favourite of Hisana's, was he not?" asked the man. He had swivelled the chair around so that all that Byakuya could see was the back. But even without Renji's warning, Byakuya would have known that voice anywhere: his uncle, Kouga.

"Yes," said Byakuya again, walking over to the desk and depositing his briefcase on the glass surface. Beyond them, the Tokyo skyline unfurled like trees on a mountainside. But the sunlight glinted off of glass and steel, not wood and the sky was filled with smog not birdsong. Still, Byakuya could imagine it as clearly as if he stood on the grounds of Senbonzakura out for a morning stroll.

"I preferred the one you had before," said Kouga, breaking the daydream, finally swivelling back to face his nephew. In his hands Kouga held a picture frame. A glance told Byakuya which one, his and Rangiku's wedding portrait. His uncle had not only been speaking of haiku.

"_Weep not, insects; stars—lovers themselves, must part_," his uncle recited, smiling. The cranberry streak in his black hair was lightening to grey, his features had sharpened but the bright green eyes were sharp, cold.

"It would not have been appropriate. I have remarried," said Byakuya.

His uncle stared at him for a beat before saying, "Yes, and the family cannot wait to meet her."

Byakuya did not look away. He said, "I apologise."

"And her son," Kouga added.

"Yes," said Byakuya.

Kouga's eyes narrowed then and he said, "If you think that with this you shall defeat me, you are sorely mistaken. Your new wife is a nobody, and the child is not yours."

Byakuya let his gaze drift back out the window and said, "Then we shall have one that is. But please, allow us some time to breathe. We have only just gotten married."

"You do not deny that you are working against me?" asked Kouga.

Byakuya looked back at him.

"Fine then, please, bring the new wife and child along, by all means. She is a very attractive woman, nothing like Hisana at all. May she give you beautiful daughters," said Kouga. He stood up and walked around Byakuya's desk, heading to the door. "Give her my regards, of course."

"Of course," said Byakuya.

Byakuya waited until he was sure that Kouga had left the floor before walking around his desk to take his seat. Kouga had left the wedding portrait on the desk, next to a formal family portrait that had been taken just yesterday. Rangiku's smile did not meet her eyes in that one. He supposed that she had wanted to go shopping for her new clothes herself but instead came home from work to find the stylists waiting with Byakuya's selections. She had not said anything to him about it, but he had not imagined the cold shoulder he got for the rest of the evening.

Byakuya took a deep breath to suppress the surge of irritation. They were pressed for time; there would be time for things like that later. It was not that he did not trust her to make her own decisions in this, but he simply did not know enough about her to allow it, not yet. It was just like a woman to have a problem with something a man did and then leave it to him to figure it out for himself. Hisana had been just the same.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. No, that was unfair. He could have at least asked what she preferred. It was clear that Rangiku considered herself an equal partner in this scheme and any action that undermined that was going to be a problem.

"Do not make my mother cry," Toshiro had told him that morning, after she had gone off to work and the boy and Byakuya had been left to have breakfast alone. "She agreed to help you but that doesn't make her your employee_._"

The boy, dressed in a t-shirt and the pyjama pants he had slept in, his feet bare and his hair mussed, nevertheless looked as fierce as a tiger. For his mother he would do anything. Rangiku had done well with the boy she had decided to keep. Too often, Byakuya had seen the result of that going wrong, and in Rangiku's case this child came to her through extreme trauma.

"I will keep that in mind," Byakuya had said, for he had to respond.

The boy considered this for a moment and then gave him a stiff nod and went back to his breakfast.

Byakuya knew which one of the men who had attacked Rangiku was the boy's father. Or at least, he had a very good idea. And she was right; the man was dead, killed by Ichimaru Gin as part of his initiation into the upper ranks of Aizen's organisation. The Snake had been Aizen's most vicious lieutenant, known and feared for his brutality, for the pleasure he took from it, that chilling fox grin. The ultraviolence he had reserved for Rangiku's attackers though…Byakuya had never seen anything like it and he had seen some truly terrible things.

The man who had fathered Hitsugaya Toshiro had given the boy most of his features save for the eyes and colouring, those he got from Rangiku. He had also been a short man, with a larger upper body than lower, and a tattoo of a dragon that began at his face, wrapped around his torso and ended halfway down his left leg. He had been vicious too but not so much after Gin cut him in half and stuffed the dead man's genitalia into his corpse's mouth. And that was the least gruesome thing Gin had done.

There was no one for Byakuya to avenge Hisana. The most he could do was fund the organisation attempting to eradicate or at least control the prevention, detection and treatment of her cancer.

Byakuya turned to face the window and the city skyline behind him. If he was truly honest with himself, and he always was, he had known that the moment his uncle heard about the marriage that the man would show up. He had no doubt too, that his family had been thorough, more so than he, in researching her background. They would find, as he had, the geisha mother, herself the daughter of performers, who had died so young her child surely did not remember much of her; the father of samurai lineage who had squandered a minor inheritance and gambled his way into a fatal debt with the yakuza. They would know by now of a childhood that had begun in luxury and ended, dramatically one rainy afternoon, in poverty and ruin.

How many years had Rangiku lived near starving while her father drank and gambled before Gin found them? And after, how had she endured the shame and horror and later the scorn of neighbours who would only see the infant and not the circumstances and cast judgement anyway? From Kouga's visit and dismissal, Byakuya was assured that the family had already come to their own conclusions about Rangiku and were waiting for the opportunity to confirm them. They had made the same mistake about Hisana and then she had outclassed the lot of them.

The door opened behind him and Byakuya swivelled around just as Renji approached his desk and said, "Kuchiki-sama, um…your wife is here to see you."

Byakuya lifted an eyebrow. His assistant coloured slightly and said, "She met your uncle in the elevator."

Byakuya stood up just as the office door opened again and in came his wife, as she had left for work, in a white camisole, khaki jacket with plaid piping and gold buttons, dark blue pants, white strappy heels and a bright red bag, though this time there was a gun at her hip. For all that she had silently disapproved of his selection, she had worn it anyway, and jewellery and all, so that she looked like a model-turned-private investigator. And at her heels was his uncle, looking slightly red-faced, his mouth set into a firm line though Rangiku was smiling.

"Good morning, husband! This handsome gentleman tells me that he is your uncle. I told him that he must be lying because of course he's too young but he insists so I had to bring him back here to confirm." She walked right up to him behind the desk, slipped her hands around his waist and kissed him firmly on the cheek, as close to his mouth as she dared. Then she said, "I hope you don't mind. I took some time off from work to see you."

She gave him a wink and then turned to look back at Renji and Kouga's stunned expressions. Nope, thought Byakuya, they had no idea what was coming at all.

"K-Kuchiki-sama, I—" Renji began.

Byakuya stopped him with a look and said to Rangiku, "You 'took some time off'?"

She dropped her gaze, her cheeks reddening, and said, "Well, they can call me if they need me…"

Kouga finally spoke up then, saying, "Byakuya, your wife is even more beautiful in person. Where on earth did you find her?"

Rangiku grinned and replied, "At a brothel."

"Work," said Byakuya at the same time and Rangiku laughed.

"Yes, work, we were both working on a case that led to a brothel. He was clearly out of place there," said Rangiku.

Kouga refused to smile with her, though Renji did. Byakuya looked at his assistant and realised that in less than a minute his new wife had charmed him. The younger man was looking at Rangiku with softness about the eyes that would raise the hackles of a lesser man. Instead Byakuya looked back to Kouga who said, "You must tell us the story this weekend. I know the family cannot wait to meet you and your son. He is fifteen, yes?"

Rangiku nodded, smiling, gaze going distant as she thought of the boy. "He's a little genius," she said, voice lowering a little. "I have no fear that he will get into Toudai or succeed at whatever he sets out to do. He is very determined. I still cannot believe how well he's turned out so far."

"A credit to your efforts, of course. I cannot wait to see what you shall do with your and my nephew's children. We have waited so long to see their faces," said Kouga.

Rangiku betrayed no discomfort, still smiling, she said, "Well you will have to wait a little longer still. We only just got married; you're going to have to give us some breathing room."

It perfectly echoed what Byakuya had said earlier, and he saw when his uncle realised and noted it and then replied to Rangiku, "Yes, yes, but not too long. I should hope to have some happy news by New Year's. The family would certainly be thrilled to start the year without the knowledge that the next generation was secure."

Rangiku gave a nod of agreement and Byakuya said, "Uncle, you had somewhere else you needed to be?"

"Oh, yes, that is right. I should go before Muramasa tears his hair out. Good day to you, Kuchiki Rangiku-san," said Kouga. Then he turned and quietly left, Renji behind him.

No one said a word for a few minutes and then Rangiku released her hold on Byakuya, walked back around his desk and said, "Your uncle seems harmless. He is a very serious man though, a little like you. Are you sure about him?"

Byakuya decided the question did not deserve an answer and said, "Why are you here?"

She turned back to him with a raised eyebrow and playful smirk. She said, "I wanted to see you, is that so wrong?"

Byakuya said nothing and after a moment she broke. "Okay, fine. Your Hara called while I was at work and said that it was perhaps in all our best interests if I made a surprise visit. He is a good man, that Hara, I was just about ready to bolt myself. They made me hand my work over to other people and while normally I don't mind, someone murdered a girl in a love hotel yesterday and I have to visit with your family for four days." She dropped herself into the chair before his desk and shook her hair out a little. The bracelets on her hands jangled with the movement and he noticed too that she was wearing the ring for all that she claimed it flashy.

"I have only just now come into work. I suppose you may remain for a few minutes more to avoid suspicion," said Byakuya.

She wrinkled her nose at that and then said, "You have very nice digs here, Kuchiki-san. I should have become a prosecutor. I have a desk in a station house, not even my own office. Certainly nothing with bamboo and zen gardens and water features and calligraphy on the walls, and we would never, ever have cream carpets." She got up out of the chair and walked around to the large window. "Oh look, there is your uncle. Should I wave?"

Byakuya did not turn around. "He would not see you if you did," he replied.

"He's looking up here," she said.

"He cannot see you from that far," said Byakuya.

"I'm waving anyway. Oh, what a view you have here. The best thing I have in my office is Toshiro's baby picture. You should see it. He's buck naked eating a watermelon and covered in the seeds and juice. He was like, three."

Byakuya turned to look at her then, to find that she had leant against the wall and was staring out at the city. His new wife liked to talk a lot, especially when they were alone and always kept out of reach as she did so. He much preferred peace and quiet but she tended to reveal a lot about herself and the boy in these conversations. It might have been a tactic to fill otherwise awkward silence but it was a useful one.

"Ah, that explains breakfast the last few days. You have given Matsura inspiration. I did not think it was possible to have watermelon in so many things," he replied.

She smiled and said, "I am sorry. Matsura told me that you prefer spicy things."

"It is of no consequence," said Byakuya.

Rangiku put her hand against the glass and said, "Your uncle does not seem very suspicious. I think he thinks I am a gold digger or something like it, I get the impression that he is not impressed. A woman my age should be married with a much younger child by now."

"I had no intention of marrying again," said Byakuya. The ring on his finger burned with betrayal though there was no one for him to have betrayed. It had not made sealing up her shrine any less painful though.

"Which adds to his suspicion, I'm sure. And I was not interested in marrying at all. What an odd pair we make." She looked away from the window to him with a wry smile. "I think there are some things you left out of your proposal though. I was reading up about your family. You were an only child until you adopted Rukia and your aunt has no children. Your cousins also have no children, even though a number of them are married. You need more than a wife."

Byakuya turned away from her. "That is none of your concern. As I have said before, there are certain places, levels within my family that one cannot attain without a wife. A chid…the woman I sought to be the mother of my child has died. There will not be another."

Rangiku exhaled softly and said, "How do you intend to stop your uncle, anyway? Challenge him on the campaign trail?"

Byakuya sat down at his desk and began going through his papers. "I'm going to take the position that has been my birthright. I'm going to take control of Kuchiki Enterprises from him."

There was a gasp, then hurried footsteps and a moment later Rangiku had appeared before his desk, eyes wide. "_Kuchiki Enterprises_? The company? The _whole_ company?"

Byakuya had already given his notice and selected his successor. He had no doubts that Rikichi would do a fine job at the law firm but he needed Renji with him at the head office. To Rangiku he said, "Once I remove the support base he will have no one to depend on to finance his rise to top. By rights he should not be using Kuchiki funds to do so, but as head of the company and of the family after my grandfather, he can. But family rules are clear, one cannot succeed without a wife…and eventually, an heir. One of my cousins will soon have a child so there shall be no problem with choosing a successor among them. I should have been heir from birth but the political machinations of my aunt has not made it so. If I want to be Head of the Kuchiki I must fight for it."

Rangiku was still staring at him in shock. When he stopped, she blinked, straightened and said, "I hope you know that your uncle will not go down without a fight. And if he has the yakuza behind him, through Aizen, he will not fight fair. I might have to shoot him."

Her expression was solemn. Byakuya acknowledged it with a nod and said, "Hopefully it will not have to come to that. And once I am Head of the family there will be no trouble in annulling our marriage. You and your son can live comfortably wherever you choose."

"Hmm," said Rangiku, and then she looked down at her watch. "Okay, well this has been a nice chat but it's time for me to go. See you."

"Where are you going?" he asked, rising to walk her out.

"Oh, nowhere in particular, just helping out with a case," she said, waving off his question as she picked up her bag. "It's not mine but they need me for consult. Don't wait up too late."

Byakuya was very sure that she had said before that they had made her give up her cases for the weekend. What was this new development? Before he could ask though she was out the door and calling her farewell to Renji. Byakuya sat back down and looked again at the family portrait his uncle had left in the middle of the desk. His uncle was not the only one who had no idea what was coming.

**0o0**

Hara was waiting for Rangiku when she shuffled through the door to the condo at last, her morning had been too long, and from the expression on his face she could tell that it was not going to be good news.

Instantly alert, she stopped in the foyer and asked, "Who is it?"

"Your new in-laws," said Hara, keeping his voice low. "They said that they could not wait for the weekend to meet their nephew's new wife since they were not able to meet with you before the wedding."

Rangiku took a deep breath and released it slowly. What the old steward had not said was for more important. They had come to size her up, as Kouga had initiated that morning, and there was no chance that Rangiku would escape them.

"Is Rukia-chan here?" asked Rangiku, continuing forward with Hara beside her.

"No, she's at her own apartment tonight. She has an early class in the morning and doesn't want to brave rush hour," he replied.

"Ah, she's so tiny and cute, it's best she doesn't," said Rangiku. Then she stopped and turned as if noticing for the first time that there were guests.

Four women sat in the living room. They wore Chanel, Valentino, and two in Alexander McQueen, with Louboutin shoes and Hermes and Louis Vuitton bags. They had accessorised this with fine pearl and diamond jewellery, and their ebony hair or dye-lightened hair had been curled and brushed to perfection. The middle-aged one was Kouga's wife, she had Byakuya's eyes, so she had to be, and the other three were younger but not as much as Rangiku, with Kuchiki noses, the high foreheads and the pale complexions. By contrast, Rangiku had mixed in new high-end clothing with old cheaper pieces to create her current look, and she needed a bath and bed. First point to Team Kouga.

"Oh hello," said Rangiku, turning to face the ladies fully. She gave a slight bow, unsure of how highly up Byakuya ranked in the clan but determined to be respectful.

None of the ladies spoke. Kouga's wife let her gaze drift over Rangiku with only the slightest change in her expression, lips dipping slightly at the corners, crows feet crinkling at her eyes. So that was how it was going to be. Rangiku walked over to them and dropped her bag unto cream sofa as if it had not spent part of her journey on Haineko's filthy floor. To the ladies, she said, "Would you like anything? Some tea? Wine?"

"No thank you," said Kouga's wife. "I am Kuchiki Matsuko, Byakuya's aunt. It is good to finally meet you, Matsumoto Rangiku-san."

"Well, it isn't 'Matsumoto' anymore," said Rangiku, baring her teeth. They did not have to like her but she was not going to be disrespected in Byakuya's house.

"My apologies," said Matsuko in the manner of someone who did not mean it. "And these are Byakuya-sama's cousins, Chiharu, Akemi and Eriko."

"A pleasure to meet you," the ladies chorused. It was a little unnerving looking at their perfectly-painted faces, like living dolls.

Rangiku decided she needed a moment to gather herself before she said something awful. Making a show of looking over her jacket for dirt, she said, "Ah, give me a minute to freshen up."

She turned around and walked away to the stairs. Hara met her there and guided her up, not to her bedroom but Byakuya's. She saw why as soon as he opened the door. He had had some of her clothes moved in, a pink Chanel suit lay on the bed. "The ladies want to take you for a late lunch. I told them that you would be exhausted but they would not hear of it."

"Of course not," said Rangiku, already removing her jacket and kicking off her shoes. "If I'm tired I'm more likely to mess up."

"Byakuya-sama called earlier this morning and mentioned the visit from Kouga so that he was expecting Matsuko-sama to follow. I made preparations immediately," Hara explained. Rangiku only half-heard him, taking a moment to look around Byakuya's somewhat sterile bedroom, the simple elevated bed with no headboard, the dresser and desk. There was a door leading to a plain white bathroom and another that presumably led to his closet. Like outside, this room was in shades of grey and cream though softened somewhat by the hardwood instead of marble floors.

"Very good," said Rangiku. "They've come in hard."

There was a knock at the door. A moment later, it opened and Matsuko walked in flanked by the cousins. She was smiling.

"Rangiku-san, we've come to take you to a late lunch, I imagine that you must be starving, we certainly are," she said, then she stopped and looked around. "Oh my, this room has not changed."

Hara could not help her here. Rangiku snatched Byakuya's robe from the bed, it was the first thing her hand caught and wrapped it around herself. Then she replied, "Give me a few days, I've only just moved in."

"Oh of course, of course," said Matsuko, nodding. "I cannot wait to see what you do with this place. This home is too masculine, it has missed a woman's touch. Rukia is a dear child but she cannot make any changes here. It is for you to make your mark in this household…I am told that you have a son."

It was such an abrupt transition that Rangiku said, "Eh?" Then she stopped, shook herself and said, "Toshiro. He should be back in a few hours."

"He is fifteen?" asked Matsuko.

Rangiku stopped pretending to be indecisive about the outfit on the bed and looking through the four others Hara had hastily presented, and said, "Yes?"

She looked up at Matsuko just as the woman put on her best embarrassed expression, eyes wide, cheeks flushed, and said, "Oh no, oh dear, I do not mean anything by it. We were told your history. I hope we will meet him soon. It has been so long since there has been a child in the family. I remember Byakuya at fifteen…I hope it is not long until I see the face of his son."

Rangiku wrinkled her nose and said, "Yes." Then she went into Byakuya's bathroom and shut the door behind her.

She took a minute to compose herself, breathing deeply before she could move off the door and go to the shower. Hara had brought in a handful of her toiletries and to waste time, Rangiku washed her hair, undoing almost all of Kanade's hard work in an instant. The women were making her uncomfortable on purpose. She should not have allowed Matsuko to enter Byakuya's bedroom even after the woman had pushed her way in. This was a power play. Point two to Team Kouga.

The women had left the room again by the time Rangiku emerged. Kanade was quietly waiting to help her dress and the woman smiled when she saw her and said, "Hara-san said that you are going to lunch with Byakuya-sama's family. He called Byakuya-sama who said that he will meet you there. Matsuko-sama tried to stop him but Byakuya-sama said that he is hungry and that if they refused then he would take you away for lunch." She blushed, suggesting the innuendo, and said, "You will need some armour, I think."

Rangiku looked at the makeup, shoes and dress, the curling iron in Kanade's hand and the wicked glint in the woman's eyes, and smiled.

Byakuya was waiting for them at the restaurant when they finally got out of the apartment some thirty minutes later. He did not look like someone who had just rushed out of work. He was seated at the table he had taken Rangiku to that first day typing something into his phone. When he noticed them, he put it down and stood up, pulling back a chair for Rangiku to sit beside him. Rangiku wondered if he would the moment before he put a hand at the small of her back and said with a soft smile, "Hello again."

Her heart skipped a beat. That was not fair. She had not been prepared for him to smile or for that smile to soften his features just enough to make him dangerous. It took Rangiku a second too long to say, "H-hello."

"Oh Byakuya, you can kiss her if you like, we won't mind," said Matsuko, smiling.

Rangiku hoped that he would not. Kisses were not part of the agreement. Byakuya replied, "Oh, I will..._later_. What are you ladies going to have?"

"She looks delicious," said one of the cousins. All heads turned to the speaker, Eriko, Miss Valentino, who was leaning on the table by her elbows, chin propped under her palms. She straightened then and said, "What? She does."

Rangiku decided that she liked this cousin. Matsuko did not look as if she agreed. Rangiku put on a saucy smirk and said, "Ah, but you're way too late. I'm married now."

Eriko looked unconcerned. She said, "Now Cousin Byakuya, you must learn to share."

"Absolutely not," said Byakuya immediately. He had not removed his hand from the small of Rangiku's back, forcing her to sit upright. It was rather distracting.

"Eriko!" cried Matsuko, eyes wide, clearly scandalised.

Eriko burst out laughing as another cousin, Chiharu this time, said, "Forgive Eriko, she's a little too playful."

"So am I," said Rangiku with a grin. "But it has been rejected, so how about we be friends instead?"

"Fine," said Eriko with a pout. But the smile in her gaze made her seem pleased. Point to Team Byakuya.

In the end, their late lunch went on for two hours and Rangiku was sleepy. Byakuya nudged her slightly when she yawned and then said to the others, still having desert, "My wife is tired. Unlike you lovely ladies, she has had a very busy morning so I think it is time for us to depart."

"Hey!" protested Eriko.

"Yes, yes, we should go," said Matsuko, signalling the waiter. "We shall have plenty of time to chat at the estate. It was a pleasure meeting you, Rangiku-san."

"And you too," said Rangiku, looking at Eriko. Then they all stood, bowed, and Byakuya guided Rangiku away from the table. She waited until they were safely in the elevator to exhale. She caught the slight smile on Byakuya's face in his reflection on the glass back wall and said, "That went better than expected."

Byakuya replied to her reflection, "That was nothing. Matsuko was merely sizing you up. She looked a little too confident. What happened?"

Rangiku told him. He considered it for a moment and said, "We will be very closely watched when we get to the manor. If you want to back out now you still can. It would be difficult but not impossible to handle."

Rangiku highly doubted that. She said, "No, it's no big deal. Besides, we're working towards a single goal. I can take it."

Again, Byakuya treated her to a long significant look and then he said, "Well then, were you serious about sleeping in the nude?".


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: I just love the name "Tomoe", especially when I think about the onna-bugeisha who made it famous. Also this chapter is longer than all the others, but that is because of the ending. **_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing. **_

**Go**

In the end, it was decided that Toshiro would accompany Rangiku and Byakuya on their trip to the Kuchiki family estate in northern Japan. They took the limo to the airport, then a private jet north, and finally a helicopter that set the new family down on the grounds of the estate. It was exactly what Rangiku expected when she imagined it, a castle of stone and wood with its own shrine on the grounds, and landscaping that rivalled the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo. And of course half of the assembled relatives were dressed in kimono.

When they were spotted walking up the path to the front of the house, all activity ceased. Byakuya wore a navy suit that brought out the colour of his eyes, his hair loose and kept a firm grip on Rangiku's hand. He had selected the black and white mini-dress and pea coat she wore, though she had insisted on the yellow-and-gold pumps and tote, as well as the tan suit they had forced Toshiro into, no matter how much he protested. Rangiku felt the force of their gazes on her and the memory of Matsuko at their lunch, looking down her nose at Rangiku even as she presented them with a surprise honeymoon trip to Thailand. She had even promised to watch Toshiro while they were gone for the week.

Rangiku would sooner leave her son in the care of a wild boar.

No one said a word until the three got to the bottom of the step. Then the three gave a formal bow, Rangiku and Toshiro taking their cue from Byakuya. The gesture was returned and then Byakuya said, "Grandmother."

Rangiku jerked her head up to follow his gaze, to find Byakuya staring at a small, white-haired woman in a bright green kimono and navy-coloured haori. For someone who must have been in her seventies she did not look it, closer to fifty, and her youthful beauty had refined itself with age so that she looked quite elegant and, once her gaze fell on her grandson's new wife, dangerous.

"Byakuya," she replied. "And this is your new wife?"

"Rangiku," said Byakuya, turning to her.

Rangiku smiled at him because it was the right thing to do, and put an arm around her son to push him forward. "And Toshiro," she said.

The woman gave them both a slight nod then turned back to Byakuya and said, "She is breathtaking. Come along now, I want to have tea with you later."

And then she turned and walked into the house without waiting for them to follow. Rangiku turned to Byakuya with a raised eyebrow. He explained without looking at her, "My grandmother is a woman of few words." Then, still holding her hand, he led the way into the house.

The interior of the house continued to fit Rangiku's expectations, shoji doors, and hardwood or tatami floors, wide open spaces punctuated here and there by centuries-old artifacts, furniture and suits of samurai armour. There were modern touches too, TVs and computers, people in casual, modern wear with iPods in their ears or playing video games. The servants were dressed formally, and almost all of them stopped to bow as Byakuya walked through the house. That turned out to be more unnerving for Rangiku than discovering Byakuya's grandmother was still alive. What were these Kuchiki, royalty? Was Byakuya actually a prince?

They went through the main floor and then climbed a staircase to the left to a second level, where they continued to the end of another corridor, took a right and ended up on a bridge that overlooked the grounds and gave sweeping views of the countryside and the ocean in the distance. Rangiku wanted to linger but they quickly passed into another section of the castle and there, finally, came to the bedrooms. The walls here were decorated with scenes of the countryside around them, carved wood painted here and there in rich colours and gold. The corridor here was central, the ceiling above vaulted to allow in natural light. Some reconstruction had taken place over the years. Two sets of doors on opposite sides of the hall opened before they got to them.

"The one on the left is Toshiro's," said Byakuya with a nod. "The one on the right is ours."

The bedroom that was to be Toshiro's was larger than the floor space of their entire 2LDK with real tatami floors and futon bed, but also a modern entertainment system and windows that overlooked the grounds. Rangiku thought that she would quite comfortably fit a spare futon in to sleep beside her son at night. Toshiro walked in, looked around and immediately pushed her out the door. A few minutes later she heard his TV roar to life.

"Ah, you have turned my son against me with your money," said Rangiku, glaring at Byakuya beside her.

With a straight face, Byakuya replied, "You can hardly blame the boy with the way you've been holding his hand since we left Tokyo. It's time to cut the umbilical cord."

The bedroom that was to be hers and Byakuya's was even larger, with the one elevated bed, a chest of drawers, dressing table, concealed closet, TV, heater and doors that opened to a balcony that overlooked part of the gardens and an artificial lake. Rangiku walked straight out onto the balcony and looked out to the sea. There was a ship sailing by. Rangiku watched it until it disappeared behind the mountain in her way and then turned back to the room to find Byakuya sitting on the bed, going through his phone. He had been on it near constantly on the journey over, working through last minute issues with Renji as they finalised details for his announcement. She steadfastly ignored the way it annoyed her.

He sensed rather than saw her looking and said, "There will be a maid to take care of us while we are here. She will probably be a spy."

"Seriously?" asked Rangiku.

"Yes," said Byakuya, then, after a pause, "Come here."

Rangiku lifted an eyebrow at him. He looked up at her and waited. Her heartbeat picked up but she walked over to where he sat on the bed. When she stood before him, he tossed his phone aside, grasped hold of her waist and turned, pulling her down unto the bed beneath him with a squeal. A moment later someone pulled the door to their room open wider, calling out, "Nii-sama, where are—oh!"

Rangiku, still staring up in shock at Byakuya's impassive expression, caught a glimpse of black hair and wide, blue eyes in the periphery of her vision before the intruder ducked out of sight again and said, "Oh, Nii-sama!"

"What are you doing here, Rukia?" asked Byakuya. He sat up off of Rangiku who closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had noticed the tautness of his abs when she embraced him the morning Kouga came to visit his office, but the arms she had gripped when he dropped her onto the bed were muscled too, his grip like iron. It sent a thrill of fear up her spine, swiftly chased by a heat that was as terrifying as it was inescapable.

Rangiku opened her eyes again as Rukia reappeared, red-faced and keeping her gaze down as she replied, "Kouga sent for me. He said that I needed to be here."

And then Toshiro popped out behind her and when his gaze fell on his mother he snarled, "What were you doing to Rangiku?"

"Why do you call your mother by her first name?" asked Rukia. Then, with a mischievous grin that was too much of echo of that Yankee boyfriend of hers, Kurosaki Ichigo, she turned back to Byakuya and said, "Maybe we should not interrupt them. Come on, Toshiro-kun."

Rangiku rolled onto her side, determined not to be outdone by an amateur like Byakuya's tiny sister, and to regain some equilibrium, and said, "Good idea. I've been dying to get him out of that suit since he put it on."

Toshiro made a choking sound that devolved into a coughing fit whilst Rangiku burst out laughing. Neither he nor Rukia returned though, and after a moment Byakuya moved away from her entirely to retrieve his phone. Rangiku remained where he left her and asked, "Hey, what was that?"

"Like I said, spies," said Byakuya.

Rangiku goggled at him, and asked in a sharp whisper, "Rukia too?"

"No," said Byakuya, typing something into his phone. "But it could have been the maid. She will be around shortly. I need to take this call." He got up off the bed and walked out into the hall.

Rangiku watched him go then sat up and took off her jacket. The entire ensemble was Versace, a sleeveless bandage dressed that clung to the curves of her body with a matching jacket. More than a few of Byakuya's male cousins had followed her path to the house and up to the bedroom with their eyes; she had felt the heat of their gaze as clearly as if they had spoken. Byakuya had not reacted but there was no way that he had not noticed.

Jacket off, Rangiku walked back to the balcony letting the early summer sunshine warm her skin. Some of the relatives had spilled out into the grounds alongside the house. Matsuko was right; there were no children among them. As she looked, Toshiro stalked over to a group of men playing basketball in their soft shoes, shirts and pants. They were poorly attired for such a wild, dirty game and yet they were playing. They were not the ones doing the laundry.

"They say it is a curse," said a low, feminine voice behind her.

Rangiku started and turned to find the woman Byakuya had called "Grandmother" walking over to the balcony. Rangiku straightened and moved over to let the woman in. The woman continued, "Byakuya was the last child born into this family, and that was over twenty-eight years ago. It was not entirely unusual, not at first…but by then Matsuko and that husband of hers had failed to produce a child in ten years of marriage. Sure, there were cousins, but Byakuya is of the main line. When he married Hisana we thought, sure she does not have a samurai name or any trace of it in her lineage, at least not officially, but we are Kuchiki, our blood would prove true. And then she died and he refused to remarry…until you."

She turned her sharp gaze onto Rangiku for a moment before looking down to the game that had just gotten started. Toshiro was playing, of course, and somehow had made himself captain and was ordering around the cousins as if they were subordinates. Rangiku smiled before she could stop herself and Grandmother said, "You have a samurai name and you have given birth and you are young still. But Byakuya should not have asked this of you."

Rangiku turned to her, the lie on her lips, but it died at the woman's look. Grandmother said, "I know. The others, they suspect, but I know the truth. Byakuya is a traditional man, somewhat, raised by his grandfather to follow a certain path. He prefers his women to be delicate creatures, small, gentle and so very cruel. Hisana was all of those things, yes, even cruel, because she loved her sister and her guilt more than she loved him. You have your son. Perhaps you could love him, but you don't need a protector."

Rangiku blinked. She never expected the woman to know or to say that much. Then she gathered herself and asked, "Whose side are you on?"

The woman smiled at her, "My grandson's, of course. I want him to succeed as his grandfather intended. I also know what it is like to be an outsider in this family. They want you to conform, to stay quietly at your husband's side and bear his heir and then fade quietly into the background at the appropriate moments. Hisana had no time to do any of those things, her time was short and she was preoccupied. You have your career and your son and you are not even nobility. You are not in need of protection like Hisana but I think you might just be a woman he needs. If you conform to his wishes, to their desires he will never succeed. If you challenge him, well then, the possibilities are endless."

"All of this from a few seconds?" asked Rangiku, eyes slightly wide.

The woman gave a soft smile very reminiscent of one of Byakuya's rare ones and said, "Hardly. Any woman who could so thoroughly enrage Matsuko even as she succeeded in unsettling you is the kind we need. Your focus is on your own goals, not to earn your way into her good graces."

Rangiku was very sure that Kouga and his wife had come out the victors in their first encounter. Perhaps age had finally gotten to the matriarch? She glanced back into the bedroom to find that Byakuya had not yet returned, and said, "Our maid is a spy?"

"Yes," said the woman, looking down into the yard. "I could not stop Matsuko from selecting the woman who would tend to you, and Subaru, foolishly, is in love with my grandson. She imagines, I think, that she has a chance with him for she, like Hisana, came from nothing. This infatuation of hers is motivation. She will look for any sign that this marriage is a sham and attempt to expose it. She will try to ingratiate herself with Byakuya over you. Do not give an inch."

"What are you two conspiring about?" asked Byakuya, gamely as he re-entered the bedroom.

"Positions," said his grandmother. "You have had no honeymoon. I have made sure that this room is soundproofed and will post Rukia to keeping the boy occupied."

Rangiku lifted an eyebrow at the older woman and said, "I like how you think. I packed my handcuffs."

Byakuya said nothing.

**0o0**

They had tea in a pavilion overlooking the gardens. Rangiku had changed to a loose, dark blue and floral print dress with spaghetti straps and a low waist, and Toshiro choose a black shirt and grey pants, though now he had a phone in his hands and would not put it away until Rangiku plucked it out of his grasp when he was not looking. The game had added a healthy flush of colour to the boy's cheeks but took away nothing of the sharpness of his tongue as he scolded his mother on their way to the pavilion, "…you are too defenceless, don't walk around here like you do at home. Don't get into the sake. Sake is not an ingredient of tea. Don't…"

The boy seemed more like the parent than Rangiku did and he was clearly used to giving instructions.

Byakuya's grandmother, Tomoe, being the formidable woman that she was, had arranged things so that he and Rangiku would sit at her left, with his wife right next to her. As Rangiku settled, the woman took one of her hands and patted them gently before straightening as if nothing had ever happened. He watched Matsuko's eyes narrow at the gesture and suppressed the urge to smile. Matsuko and her mother had been engaged in a silent war for decades.

Kouga was watching Rangiku too, though his expression betrayed nothing. When he felt Byakuya's gaze he turned to him and said, "Don't worry, nephew, I already have mine."

Rukia and Toshiro settled in beside Byakuya, the boy looking rather bored without his phone and ignoring Rukia's attempts to engage him. When they were all seated, Matsuko nodded at Kouga and his uncle said, "Now that we are all here, I would first like to extend a gracious welcome to my nephew, Byakuya, his new wife, Rangiku, and her son, Toshiro. It is so good of you to come all the way from Tokyo for this gathering."

Byakuya did not smile. He replied truthfully, "I would not miss this for the world."

Kouga acknowledged this with a nod, and then said, "It is a pity that we could not have been all there for the wedding…I don't suppose you would be interested in a larger ceremony at the New Year?"

Byakuya let Rangiku answer, squeezing her hand lightly to prompt her, and she said, "Oh yes, yes, of course! Well, if we can manage it. We barely managed it this time. I don't know."

Her indecisive response was enough for Kouga who then turned to Tomoe and said, "Rangiku, dear, will you help me?"

She presented the whisk to Rangiku. It was a significant gesture, the implications of which Byakuya was sure went over her head, but Rangiku had good instincts, so she took the whisk and began to stir.

Matsuko had gone puce. Byakuya marvelled at the sight. Tomoe was doing everything in her power to welcome Rangiku into the clan. She may not have been able to override Matsuko outright but she was still technically the clan's matriarch, how she treated Rangiku would direct the others. That was good. Byakuya had no patience for dealing with a second round of them bullying his wife. Also Rangiku, unlike Hisana, occasionally carried a firearm.

After tea, Tomoe led Rangiku away for a tour of the grounds with the other women and Byakuya and his uncle and the men retreated to the ancient throne room where they would have their meeting. Byakuya deliberated for only a moment before tapping Toshiro to accompany him and was surprised when the boy immediately followed. Of course, he never got the impression that Toshiro disliked him, just that the boy did not trust him around Rangiku as he would not trust any other man.

A cousin caught up to them on the way and said, "Byakuya-kun, where did you find her? She's like, wow, does she squeal? She looks like the type that would make a lot of noise. About time you found a—oh hey, kid. Didn't see you there."

Toshiro, like Byakuya, said nothing to him but continued quietly on their way. The boy waited until he and Byakuya were seated in the conference room to whisper, "It's not like she doesn't know that she draws attention but she can't help it. She would be wearing a bag and people would still stare, doesn't mean that they have any right to talk about her like that. She could probably break every bone in his body with her bare hands and all he would see is that she has…" He sighed and said, "Don't hurt my mother. She is scary good at martial arts, especially judo."

"Really," said Byakuya, looking away from the boy as Kouga entered the room. "I was the junior national champion in elementary school before my grandfather turned me to kendo and archery."

Byakuya thought about how Rangiku had reacted when he pulled her down onto the bed. She had been startled, certainly, her eyes as round as saucers and the squeal she had made, but she had also clamped her hands down onto his and positioned her legs in a manner that would help her free herself with little difficulty. That was a very good move on her part and made him more than a little proud. Someone had brutalised her once, _no one_ else was going to get the chance.

The meeting that followed was of little importance. Kouga sat at the head with Byakuya beside him for the first time in six years like a feudal lord and his deputy while their relatives reported on the state of their holdings. The Kuchiki Corporation was into everything from electronics to weapons to entertainment and if they wanted to they could, with very little trouble, take over half of Japan because they already owned it. No one commented on Toshiro's presence, which was somewhat unusual, though they did make some attempt to temper their more colourful expressions where they could. He really did look closer to twelve than fifteen.

The rule that no man could sit on this Council of Elders, as Byakuya thought of it, unless they were married had been made more than three centuries ago by those who believed that a man with a domestic attachment would be more concerned for the perpetuation of the company and less willing to take risks. It was a good rule, Byakuya thought, because it had kept the family around through times of war and peace, through economic highs and severe depressions, and even the arrival of Westerners. When Hisana died he had been ejected from the council for fear that his grief would make him unstable, dangerous. Byakuya had accepted this without a fight because at the time he knew that he was in no condition to take over an entity as large as the Kuchiki Corporation. And then Kouga had gone and aligned himself with yakuza and tried to ruin his nephew, a man who had presented no real threat to him. Byakuya would teach his uncle why one should not poke a sleeping beast.

And then Byakuya went back to his bedroom to find Rangiku fast asleep across the bed.

It was late afternoon and she was still dressed as she had been for tea, though now with a cardigan over her shoulders. Toshiro was with Rukia again. There was no one else in this wing of the house so as far as Byakuya knew, he and his wife were alone. He pulled the door closed behind him and went to the balcony and closed that in too. He was sure that someone saw him and he was very sure he knew what they were thinking, especially if they had noticed Rangiku's absence. Good.

Walking back into the room, Byakuya removed his jacket and went to the low desk set up in the corner near the balcony for him. He had set up the laptop before going to tea. The single webpage he had opened ran at least five tabs, one for a international business newspaper, the next for a national one, the third on the local news, fourth for email and the last idle. The Kuchiki Corporation's stocks had risen slightly when news of Byakuya's marriage had spread. It had doubled when rumours began to circulate that Byakuya was planning to leave the prosecutor's office for the Corporation. But this was to be expected, the stocks had fallen three whole points when Byakuya left in the first place.

Rangiku mumbled something and shifted on the bed. Byakuya looked up at her, waited until she settled and then opened his email.

His inbox was overflowing with interview requests from reporters and searching questions from Kuchiki Corporation board members hoping to gauge his intentions. He ignored them and went directly to the one from kazeshini69 simply titled, "Rangiku". The detective had added no honorific nor acknowledged her new married name. Clearly he thought himself a rival, which made Byakuya smile a little. If Byakuya ever seriously turned his attention to Rangiku that battle was going to be over before it began.

Detective Hisagi was brief and to the point:

_I will not help you coddle Rangiku like a child. She will not hear anything about this case from me. _

Byakuya scoffed at the word "coddle" but nodded his approval that the detective had reluctantly but immediately agreed to his request. It had taken Byakuya all of ten minutes to realise, after reading the article about the murder in the morning newspaper the day before, that the murder in the love hotel had too many similarities to Rangiku's attack to be ignored. Aizen Sosuke was back in Japan. The Snake was still in prison for life, yes, only having just skirted the death penalty on account of the information everyone thought he had and had had no contact with Rangiku for the past ten years, but that could change. The next order of business was to ensure that Rangiku herself made no attempt to get involved.

Their bedroom's shoji doors slid open and a small figure in a simple kimono entered and went straight to the bed. Subaru did not notice Byakuya. She had changed her hair, now she wore a pixie-cut rather than the ill-advised shoulder-length one she had been sporting for years. She ran her fingers through it now as she stared at Rangiku. Byakuya asked "Is there something that you needed?"

She started with a yelp, and then spun to face him with a hand over her heart. "Ah, Byakuya-sama!" she said.

Rangiku opened her eyes, blinked and sat up with a yawn. So she was a light sleeper and had not awoken when he entered. Either she trusted him, unlikely as they still barely knew each other, or she had seen him and dismissed him as a threat. His old instructor in the JDF would have approved of her subterfuge.

"Byakuya…who's this?" she asked, sleepily.

Subaru's face reddened slightly but she turned immediately and bowed, "Good afternoon, Kuchiki Rangiku-sama. I am Subaru, Matsuko-sama sent me to tend to you and Byakuya-sama for your stay, please take care of me."

Rangiku was all smiles as she replied, "Oh, good, good…what time is it?"

"Not yet time for dinner, Kuchiki-sama. I came to see if there was anything you two required before then," said Subaru.

It was a good lie but a lie all the same. Byakuya had closed all the doors in the room. Anyone who saw that would think he and Rangiku had gone out or were sleeping in. She had come to spy, or more likely given her history, interrupt.

"No, no, I'm fine," said Rangiku, slipping off the bed. "Oh, where is my son?"

Byakuya replied, "In his room. Did you have a good rest?"

Rangiku nodded and walked over to sit beside Byakuya at his desk. He did not bother closing the tabs and rousing her suspicion but moved to the next email in the list, an interview request from a tabloid. Subaru remained standing in the middle of the room.

"Oh, gahhh, why are they asking questions? They are so terrible. They're just going to make up stuff anyway," Rangiku exclaimed. Then she read the name of the reporter and scowled. "Oh, that asshole, don't answer him. If you give him a chance he's going to make up some story about you igniting a war with your relatives and the next thing you know your company's stock is in the toilet."

Byakuya went to the next email and Rangiku wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. She had no trouble touching him, it seemed, once there were witnesses. He could have told her that there was no need to do such a thing but Subaru was still there. After a moment, Rangiku appeared to remember her and turned to the younger woman with a raised eyebrow.

Subaru smiled at her and said, "I will wait here until you need me." She went to take a post by the door.

Rangiku turned to Byakuya and lifted an eyebrow. He turned back to the laptop, going for the news tab, and Rangiku lifted one hand from his waist to sweep her fingers through his hair. And then she asked, "Do you think she's a voyeur, this Subaru?"

Subaru looked sharply up at them from where she sat formally in seiza. Rangiku continued, apparently oblivious, "Or are you an exhibitionist? I do not care either way but I think you do." She moved the hand from his hair to brace herself against his shoulder while she put her face to his neck and breathed in.

"Oh!" cried Subaru, and a moment later she was up and bowing out of the room.

Rangiku released him almost as soon as the doors were closed but she did not move too far away. She asked in a low voice that still seemed rather loud in the quiet house, "What were you and Hisagi talking about?"

Byakuya tried very hard to ignore the fact that she smelled of chamomile and jasmine and just that little bit of the sun, and replied in kind, "Nothing of your concern."

She leaned away from him with a lifted eyebrow and said, "I saw my name."

He did not reply. After a moment she scoffed, got up and walked back to the bed. "Wake me when it's dinner time," she said as she lay back down unto it.

"Should I summon the maid again?" he asked, only half-joking.

She did not catch the jest and replied, "That is the second time since I've lain down that she's been in here. I would think she was trying to steal something if I did not know that she was looking for information. But why does she have to stand over me like some kind of creepy stalker to do it?"

Byakuya could guess but decided to hold his tongue. Instead he said, "Be warned, she will be back."

"Then we will give her a show," she said with a shrug. Then, "For curiosity's sake, did you ever give her any reason to think she actually had a chance?"

Byakuya did not look up at her as he replied, "There was…an incident after Hisana died. Rukia interrupted. When I regained my senses I told her that it was never to happen again."

"It better not," said Rangiku, a hint of laughter in her voice. Byakuya looked up to find her lying down on the bed again, her back to him. In a few hours they would be sharing this bed. There was simply no way for her to spend the nights with her son, not with Subaru in the house. Byakuya let his eyes trace the curves of her body. She had a small waist, wide hips and long legs. It was dangerous the way she flaunted her sexuality. He might have sworn that he would not lay a finger on her but he was still a man.

"It won't," he said.

**0o0**

Rangiku could not be sure but she could swear that Tomoe was trying to get her drunk. But that was absurd.

She emptied her cup of sake and set it down, looked away for a moment as one of Byakuya's cousins said something and when she looked back, sure enough, the cup was full again.

She glanced over at Tomoe. The matriarch was the picture of innocence. Who would ever think that this genteel, demure Japanese woman could be anything other than a darling? Matsuko could, probably, for Rangiku had not failed to notice the way Tomoe kept directing her attention at her new granddaughter-in-law and outright ignored her daughter. The others had definitely noticed as well and were nothing but polite if they ever had cause to address Rangiku. Point to Team Byakuya then.

But Tomoe was definitely up to something now.

Rangiku decided to ignore the cup. She was a long way from drunk but she did not want to drink too much in front of Matsuko. Besides, when she got drunk she let loose and she doubted Byakuya would appreciate it too much if she led his cousins in a game of strip poker. Sure, she would be only one fully dressed by the end of it but he definitely did not look like the type inclined to let his wife get into things like that with other men.

Eriko and the cousin who had spoken before were now having an argument over some inane thing or the other. Then Rangiku felt a hand on her knee and when she turned, Tomoe asked, "Do you not like the sake?"

"What?" Rangiku asked, feigning ignorance.

Tomoe indicated Rangiku's cup with a finger as she replied, "This sake is from Byakuya's birth year. It is believed in this family that if a wife drinks the sake from her husband's birth year at their wedding feast, then she shall conceive an heir within the year."

Well then, Rangiku was definitely not touching the rest of that sake now. And what did she mean by "sake from her husband's birth year"? Was this sake really twenty-eight years old? Didn't that mean it was absurdly strong? It was time to get away from this table. Rangiku smiled at Tomoe and said, "Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom."

She stood up to do just that and fell right back down onto her butt. Either gravity was losing its grip on her or her legs had just refused to support her. She giggled at the idea of floating up into the air above the Kuchiki relatives, and all heads turned to her. Byakuya said, "Rangiku."

She giggled again and Tomoe said, "Ah, it appears that that ceremonial sake was a bit too strong. Byakuya, be a good husband and take your wife to bed."

Rangiku's giggle became a laugh. Her head felt light and everything was funny, especially Matsuko's glare at Tomoe. Kouga was not glaring but looking at Rangiku with a small smile. Rangiku turned to Byakuya and said, "I think I'm drunk. Isn't that ridiculous?" Then she laughed again.

"Grandmother," said Byakuya through clenched teeth.

"Oh my," said Tomoe. "I am so very sorry, Byakuya. But go on, take the poor girl to bed now. You should not let her walk herself."

"I can't walk," said Rangiku, still laughing. "I tried to stand up but my legs said 'No, not today!' I just dropped right back down on my butt, like so." She mimed something falling from a great height with her hands and then nearly fell backwards. Byakuya only just stopped her by snatching hold of her arm.

"We will discuss this later, Grandmother," said Byakuya.

"Of course," said Tomoe.

Rangiku leaned into Byakuya and said, "You know, usually I would drink everybody here under the table and walk away sober. That's some strong sake. Your grandmother is very sneaky, do you know that? I did not even realise what was happening."

A moment later, he slipped one hand behind her back, the other under her knees and lifted. Rangiku yelped and leaned into him again. The world shifted and then she began to float. It took her a moment too long to figure out that he was carrying her away from the table. She could feel the muscles of his arms through the sleeves of his jacket. She inhaled deeply and said, "You smell nice."

He grunted but said nothing. They continued in silence all the way to their bedroom. Subaru was there to open the door, but when she did, Byakuya said, "We will not be requiring your assistance for the rest of the evening." He continued into the room and laid Rangiku down on the bed. She immediately snuggled into the sheets, shifting so that lay she diagonally. The mattress was just the right mix of soft and firm.

"But Byakuya-sama…she needs to change—goodnight, Byakuya-sama," said Subaru.

Rangiku heard the door slide shut and then Byakuya's footsteps as he walked over to the bed. Rangiku rolled onto her back to look up at him. He was staring at her, expression solemn.

She sighed and said, "Don't look at me like that, I didn't give you away. But let me tell you, your grandmother is a very devious woman. She says she knows everything, but she wants you to knock me up."

Byakuya said nothing. Rangiku pouted at him, then patted the space beside her on the bed. "Come on, I won't jump you. I promise. Come, put me to bed, tell me a story and tuck me in."

This time he lifted an eyebrow and she burst out laughing. He was taking this entirely too seriously. Rangiku supposed that she would be more upset when she woke the next morning, but now that she was safely in bed and away from that sake she decided that anger could wait. Byakuya walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. She smiled up at him and he said with a sigh, "Welcome to the Kuchiki, Rangiku-san."

Rangiku was slightly confused, brow furrowed for a moment before she shook her head to clear it and said, "Thank you for inviting me. I love your grandmother. She and I are going to have lots of fun together."

Byakuya said, "You call this 'fun'?"

Rangiku shrugged and rolled onto her side before she replied, "Bah, she tried to drunken me into having sex with you. She doesn't need to do that, but it's cute that she's so worried about you that she thinks that she has to. Plus, that sake was very good. You taste good, Byakuya-kun." She giggled at her own innuendo.

Byakuya sighed again, more audibly this time, and said, "Go to sleep, Rangiku."


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: I apologise for the late submission. I've been caught up in an original fiction project that is like, four chapters from completion of the first draft, so I got a little carried away. Thank you to everyone who has been reading and sticking with me thus far. I really love this pairing. **_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, on loan. **_

**Roku**

It was the giggling that did it. Rangiku had been trying to sleep, still under the effects of Byakuya's birth year sake she was a little groggy and the bed was so very comfortable. Momo would have been thrilled to hear that Byakuya and Rangiku went to bed together, not so much when she learned that Rangiku had spent most of it dead unconscious. It was a shame really, because Byakuya had gone to bed shirtless and she should have been sober for that.

It had been years since she had last been with someone, and Gin had done his best to ensure that it never happened again. She had talked him into it, the first time, back when she was sixteen and feeling terrible about herself. How free some of her friends were, had allowed themselves to be. She thought that something was wrong with her, the way she shunned attention, and then got it into her head that this was also part of what the counsellor meant when she talked to Rangiku about self-blame. She had just wanted to feel desire and not be guilty about it, to be touched and held and not cringe and the best candidate for that she decided was Gin.

It had taken her months, and when he finally gave in he handled her so gently, so carefully as if he was afraid that he would break her that both had left the encounter unsatisfied and upset. The second attempt fell apart too, when Gin got a call from Aizen and took advantage of it to shake her off completely.

There was never a third attempt. Gin disappeared from her life and the shame was too much for Rangiku to try talking to anyone else. And now, here she was married to a man she barely knew and though they had agreed to it, her traitorous mind kept whispering unhelpful things. Sure, there was no harm in wondering what it would be like, but that was a lot easier to say when the subject of those thoughts was not lying next to her shirtless. And she was too damn drunk to do anything about it.

And now there was giggling.

Byakuya had left the bed early that morning, before sunrise, taking his warmth with him. Rangiku cracked open an eyelid to find the room bright but empty. The doors were still shut but the one to the balcony was open and now that she was awake she realised that the giggling came from outside. She yawned and rolled onto her back. And then someone said, "_Byakuya-sama has excellent form, don't you think?_"

"_Yes. I wish I was that bow_," said another.

Rangiku sat up and looked out the open window. There was something on the lawn. She got out of the bed, snatched up a robe—when the hell did she lose her nightgown? Oh boy—and went to the balcony.

Byakuya stood perfectly still on the lawn in an archer's white kosode and black hakama, arrow nocked, gaze trained firmly on the target ahead of him. There was a beat and he released the arrow. Rangiku held her breath. The arrow hit his target dead centre. There was a smattering of applause and Rangiku could not help her smile. Byakuya did not cheer, but calmly walked back to where chairs and a table had been set out for the small audience and retrieved a towel.

A young man, one of the cousins Rangiku had seen yesterday, got up from his seat across the lap of his girlfriend for his turn. Byakuya dried his face and sat down to watch, and that was when Rangiku noticed Toshiro seated at the table, also in archer's wear though as far as Rangiku knew, her son's sport was kendo not archery. Clearly someone had found a role model. Great, as if she did not have enough trouble with him trying to be too big for his little breeches.

Then someone asked, "So, Byakuya-bo, where is your wife? I came all the way over here to meet her and instead all I get is you."

Byakuya did not look at the speaker, a tall, dark-skinned woman with very long dark hair and the bearing of a queen in a bright yellow kimono, as he replied, "And you never will, you demon."

Rangiku's eyes went wide but the woman threw her head back and burst out laughing, a deep, throaty, sexy sound. And still laughing, she said, "Well, at least I got to meet her son. Sui-Feng, isn't he handsome?"

She had barked this to a small, dark-haired, severe-looking girl who was probably Rukia'a age but stood as straight as a bodyguard. The girl's voice was soft though as she replied without looking, "Yes, Yoruichi-sama."

Yoruichi cackled merrily at this and then turned to Toshiro. "So, Toshiro-kun, do you have a girlfriend yet? I heard that you're fifteen but you look so little. If you don't I have the girl for you. She's the daughter of a friend of ours."

"Leave him alone, you," said Byakuya.

"Nope," said Yoruichi, grinning. "I think I like your stepson."

Byakuya looked at Toshiro and said, "Do not accept anything that she gives you. She is a youkai. If you are not careful you will wake up on a boat in the middle of the ocean with no engine and a small knife."

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Byakuya-bo, it was not so bad. We were monitoring you by GPS and that was an active shipping lane. We would never have let you get lost."

Toshiro's eyes went wide and gaped up at the woman. Yoruichi smirked at him and said, "We were re-enacting _Life of Pi_ and _Castaway_."

"_I_ was re-enacting nothing," said Byakuya, glaring at her. "You _drugged _and _kidnapped_ me. I cannot believe that someone allowed you to _breed_."

It was then that Rangiku noticed the pronounced curve of the woman's stomach. The woman waved away Byakuya's insult and said, "You should try it some time, Kisuke and I had a lot of fun."

Byakuya scowled and said to Toshiro, "Keep your mother away from her too."

Now Rangiku was intrigued. She walked away from the balcony and went back to the bedroom to change. A quick shower and a few minutes quibbling over whether she should wear a kimono or a dress, Rangiku stepped out onto the sunny lawn in a bright orange mini-dress the colour of persimmons with a denim jacket for the morning chill.

Byakuya was back at the target, concentration trained firmly on his task. Rangiku tried not to disturb him by passing along the backs of the assembled cousins and neighbours, but then someone called, "_Ah, Rangiku-san! You've finally come!_"

All heads turned, even Byakuya. Rangiku offered him a soft smile; he nodded and turned back to the target.

Her greeter was one of the cousins who had come to the apartment, Eriko. Rangiku gave the woman her stage smile—she was sitting with a stone-faced Matsuko—and then went to the table where Toshiro sat with the mysterious Yoruichi and her bodyguard. Yoruichi spoke first.

"I was wondering when you would come down, Mrs Kuchiki. Good morning. Shihouin Yoruichi, and this is Sui-Feng."

"Good morning, nice to meet you," Rangiku replied, sinking into the one empty chair. She shifted Byakuya's towel to the table and ruffled Toshiro's hair. To her son she said, "I didn't know that you were into archery."

"Byakuya-san is teaching me," said Toshiro.

Byakuya came up to them then and said, "You should not believe a word of what she says."

Rangiku peeked behind him to see a servant removing his arrow from dead centre, again. It was amazing how accurate he was. She definitely needed to see him handle a gun. Then she paused to give herself a mental scold, she meant a gun, an actual one like a Luger or a Smith &amp; Wesson.

Yoruichi and Byakuya were still bickering. Yoruichi lifted an eyebrow at him and asked, "Not even the good things?"

His gaze narrowed at her as he replied, "Not even those."

Yoruichi laughed again and said, "Well, no matter. That's why I have pictures. You cannot deny anything that I have photographic evidence of. Oh Byakuya-bo looked just like a little girl when he was younger. We used to dress him up and tell everyone he was my little sister. Sui-Feng, show her the pictures!"

An envelope was produced, opened and its contents spread before Rangiku. Yoruichi had not lied.

"Ah, kawaii!" cried Rangiku, snatching up the first picture of her grey-eyed husband at five, dressed up in a girl's kimono for the children's holiday. He did look very much like a little girl. He also looked furious.

"See, Byakuya-bo, she agrees with me. Oh, Rangiku-san, there's another where we put him in makeup," said Yoruichi, rifling through the pile.

"Kyaa!" Rangiku exhaled. "How adorable! I should show you one of Toshiro. He was a little rascal."

"Ah, then you must see Byakuya-bo as a baby. Company stocks actually fell when the newspapers published his first picture for they were sure the family was trying to conceal that he was a girl. Oh! Here it is!"

Byakuya snatched the picture out of Rangiku's hands before she could get a good look at it, then grasped her by the arm and pulled her up out of his chair. She fell against his chest, surprised, and he said in a low voice that made her heart race, "Do I look like a girl?"

Rangiku was keenly aware of the gazes of the others. She also could not deny that her new husband was a very beautiful man, the bishounen of women's fantasies, even if he could be cold, arrogant, and to hear others tell it, cruel. She shook her head, suddenly meek, but her voice was steady and clear as she replied, "You certainly don't feel like one."

Byakuya nodded at her, turned to Yoruichi and said, "Behave, you bakeneko."

Yoruichi threw her head back and burst out laughing again. She said, "Alright, alright. Let her go, Byakuya, the poor woman looks near faint."

Rangiku sank gratefully into her seat and hoped her skin would not redden. She caught a glimpse of Toshiro in the periphery of her gaze, eyes narrowed in suspicion, looking between her and Byakuya. Great. Now her son was going to think that there was more than she told him to her relationship with Byakuya. Sure, the whole point was for people to think they were desperately in love but she was not supposed to actually fall for him. That path only led to pain and especially when it came time for him to make her a wealthy divorcee.

"I don't see the problem," said a familiar voice, coming towards them.

Rangiku looked up to see Byakuya's grandmother and Rukia coming across the lawn towards them. "She is his wife, why should she not feel faint at the sight of her husband? Oh, Yoruichi-san, and where is your husband today?"

Yoruichi scowled and said, "Working. And now he has Jinta and Ururu-chan helping him. Oh, Toshiro-kun, that was the girl I was telling you about. She's very cute."

"Oh no, he's too young for a girlfriend," said Rangiku, putting a protective arm around Toshiro's shoulders.

He shrugged her off at once and said, "I'm not a baby."

Rangiku smiled at him and pinched his cheeks and said, "Still too young for a girlfriend. Don't think I don't know about you and Karin-chan though. Kurosaki-sensei is going to be real interested in the details."

He looked up at her, eyes wide. Rangiku's smile widened and she looked over at Yoruichi and asked, "So, what else do you have about my danna-sama?"

Yoruichi grinned at her.

**0o0**

Byakuya won the contest, as was expected, and accepted as his prize the keys to his cousin's brand new Aston Martin. Yoruichi's suggestion that he and his new wife publicly kiss was rejected though, as Rangiku had disappeared to the bathroom mere moments earlier and could not be located in time. She had gone off for a stroll around the grounds, Byakuya discovered later on his way to the garage to collect his cousin's car, and happily accepted the offer to join him. It was good that she had, no doubt the family spies would see it as a newlywed couple running away for privacy. Byakuya decided then that they needed to have lunch somewhere in the town too; it certainly would not hurt to be seen out together by non-family members.

Rangiku said nothing at first as Byakuya sped along the winding mountainside roads. There was little traffic and most of it was easy to evade if one was fast enough and Byakuya's speeding ticket-free track record proved that he certainly was. He was quite proud of that record too, both for the fact that the tickets might have proven embarrassing later and also because it was the one vestige of rebellion he had allowed himself. A man like him got nowhere if they did not have control, it was a lesson his grandfather had taken great pains to drill into his head.

Then Rangiku asked, "Where are we?"

Byakuya blinked and looked around him. He had missed the turn off for town a ways back and if they continued on this road for another two hours they would end up at Senbonzakura. He had been so caught up in the thrill of the drive, the Aston Martin's handling and, if he were honest, the woman seated next to him that his brain on auto-pilot just naturally decided to head home. It was too late to turn back. He said, "Going home."

"Home?" she asked.

"Senbonzakura," he replied.

"Ah," said Rangiku. "The house you built for Hisana."

That was not entirely true, most of the estate had been completed before Byakuya even met Hisana, but it was true that she had altered significant portions of the design and renovated others. Only later did he realise that the room she had set aside, presumably for a nursery, had actually been for her sister. He said, "We should be there in a couple of hours. Would you prefer to turn back?"

"No, it's fine," said Rangiku. "I've heard that it is very beautiful, that there are literally one thousand cherry blossoms around the estate."

Byakuya glanced over at her. She was staring out the window at the region they were speeding through. Byakuya slowed a little and said, "Not literally. There are many different kinds of trees around the estate, though certainly there are more cherry blossoms than anything else. The best view of them, you will see, is from the tea room though we are much too late to see anything blooming."

He glanced at her again just in time to catch her small smile and then she said, "I read that you built a theatre house on the grounds because Hisana liked to dance?"

He smiled and said, "She was professionally trained. She had aspired to become a geisha." He stopped when he realised what he had just said. Rangiku had almost become a geisha too.

He glanced over at her to find her staring down at her hands in her lap. He asked, "Why did you drop out?"

"Toshiro," she said, not sounding surprised that he knew. "I could not be a geisha and a mother at the same time. And then the day before my debut a salaryman murdered the geisha he had hired in a jealous rage. I'd known Mariko since I started my training…I had to stop things like that from happening. You would think that geisha are safe, but if you were like me, came from nothing with no one to back you, well…I couldn't do anything about it as a geisha."

Byakuya took a breath before asking the next question, knowing that it was going to be difficult. "You decided to become a geisha…even after what had happened to you?"

Instead of the hurt he expected, Rangiku reddened and looked out the window again as she replied, "I…I've always loved traditional dancing and entertaining and all that nightlife. I do not remember much of my mother but I have met some of her friends and thought they were so beautiful…. And…well, for a very long time I was afraid of being around men. I did not want to be anywhere near them, despite the counselling, despite Gin and self-defence, despite…so I decided that where better than to get used to one half of the population. I refused to let what happened to me ruin the world for me but…it was really hard."

Understandable, Byakuya thought, considering what had happened to her. He said, "I must see you dance sometime."

"Ha," said Rangiku. "That would cost you."

"I can afford it," said Byakuya. "As you surely have noticed by now, I'm loaded."

Rangiku burst out laughing. Byakuya did not understand what for, he was serious. Still, her amusement was infectious and he quickly found himself smiling. Eventually though, she stopped and wiping happy tears from her eyes, said, "You know, you're not as terrible as everyone thinks. Sometimes you have a great sense of humour."

"I have always had a great sense of humour," said Byakuya, feigning offense. "It is not my fault they did not notice."

Rangiku smiled and patted his arm. "Yes, dear," she said and laughed again.

Byakuya realised that he liked the sound of her laughter, even though at the moment she was laughing at him. Then he stopped that thought and said, "I should warn you, no one has been to Senbonzakura in years. The power may still be on, but not much cleaning would have been done. At least the grounds should be neat."

"I don't mind," said Rangiku. "It is your house, I'm just a visitor. I won't judge…you did see my apartment right?"

"Yes, I am sure that your son is thrilled to escape your tyranny," he replied.

The drive to Senbonzakura took less than the estimated two hours, largely because most of it was spent in pleasant conversation. Rangiku would have been very sought-after as a geisha. She had perfected the art of distraction to the point that Byakuya found himself going along with whatever she was saying before he could think better of it. He was actually considering letting her into the boardroom for negotiations when Rangiku said, "Oh."

They had arrived at the manor.

It was the wrong season, he had warned, and so none of the trees were blooming but the grounds had been kept immaculate and so one could just see what it would look like filled with flowers. Rangiku rolled down her window and took in a deep breath, then smiled and said, "This is exactly what Google said it should look like and what I have come to expect from a family like yours."

"Which is?" he asked, only half-curious.

"Old money with traditional sensibilities but modern houses with all the conveniences that brings," she replied with a smile. "I see no reason for freezing to death in a drafty old house."

Byakuya drove right up to the front and parked in the middle of the drive. Senbonzakura was a modern stone, glass and wood mansion, two-storeys high with ten bedrooms, twelve and a half bathrooms, a ten car garage, theatre, gym, three swimming pools, a Jacuzzi, two kitchens, at least three living rooms, a game room, office, conference room and private shrine. Hisana was not buried here, but Byakuya had reserved space beside her for himself and Rukia. As they got out of the car he thought he caught a flash of light from somewhere on the grounds to his right, but dismissed it. Rangiku was already at the door and if there were photographers about there was nothing wrong with what they would capture.

"Come on, come on, come on!" called Rangiku from the door, practically bouncing. She was far more excited about this than he expected. It was also a little unnerving because he was not sure he could handle her exuberance, especially if she kept that movement going.

He took his time to join her, then locate the key and open the door. Rangiku pouted at him the whole time and when the door finally clicked open, she pushed past him to get in, then stopped in the middle of the foyer and went, "Wow!"

Byakuya stepped past her and went straight for the phone. It was on, as was—he tested a switch—the power. All of the furniture had also been uncovered and the house was spotless. Someone had arranged for the staff to prepare it for his arrival. His grandmother, no doubt, and this was going to be the least of the pleasant surprises awaiting them in the house.

Rangiku walked on to the kitchen. A moment later she ran back to him, eyes wide, and announced, "The fridge is fully stocked. There's even cake!"

"Hn," Byakuya grunted and decided to follow a hunch. Up the stairs to the second floor and the master bedroom, he was met with a trail of rose petals that began in the hall before the open doors and continued in to the bed. He decided not to go any further but turned around and went back down.

Rangiku met him at the bottom of the stairs. "What is it?" she asked.

He replied, "I was admiring my grandmother's zeal."

"Ah," said Rangiku. "How did she know that you were coming here today? We didn't."

"My grandmother believes in preparing for all contingencies," said Byakuya.

Rangiku nodded at this, and said, "Well since there is a fully-stocked kitchen in there, how about I make lunch?"

Byakuya lifted an eyebrow at her. "Your son says that I should never let you near a stove."

"Bah, don't listen to him. How do you think he survived the first few years of his life?" asked Rangiku, walking back to the kitchen.

"According to him, Granny Hitsugaya and Ichimaru Gin," said Byakuya, following her.

Rangiku snorted and said, "True, but I helped. Oh, I think I will make pasta." She went to the cupboards and began removing utensils and ingredients. "Do you have any preferences?" she asked, bending to peer into a cupboard.

Byakuya looked at her, discarded the first response and said, "Something spicy. I will be in the office. I have to check my mail."

Rangiku waved him away without as much as a backward glance.

In the safety of his office, Byakuya took a deep breath, released it slowly and chuckled to himself. Rangiku was not trying to do anything. Last night she had rolled into his side and curled up there like a cat seeking warmth. Perhaps if she had not removed her nightgown while still half-asleep, complaining about the heat, she would not have needed to. At least she had had the decency to cocoon herself in the sheet before she rolled into Byakuya. He sighed at the memory. This was going to be the longest weekend of his life.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, closer this time, from somewhere on the grounds. The photographer was unlikely to be able to see Byakuya, but Byakuya could see him well enough. Byakuya pulled his phone from his pocket and made a short call. When it ended he went back to the kitchen to find Rangiku in the midst of stir-frying scallops. She had also switched on the TV and let it play loudly on a regional game show. It was unlikely she would even hear the commotion.

Without turning, she asked, "What's up?"

"Everything is running smoothly," he said.

"Okay," she replied. "Well come and help me, I have no idea where anything is in here."

She was not anything like Hisana but Byakuya would be damned before he let anything happen to her if he could prevent it.

They had lunch at the house, then Rangiku had inveigled Byakuya into taking her on a tour of the grounds, which ended so late that they decided to have dinner there too. Byakuya called the manor to let his grandmother know and she had responded by telling him that they should spend the night and if they tried to return they would meet the house locked. She also added that she had left Rangiku a gift and he had ended the call at the sound of Yoruichi's cackling.

Fortunately, there was more than one bedroom, though of course the only one that could accommodate a guest was the master. While they had not outright locked the other rooms, and Byakuya had his keys anyway, they had not prepared a futon or extra bedding. Rangiku settled the matter by deciding that she would take the couch because she wanted to watch TV and then they moved on to the next problem, clothing. They found Rangiku's gift in the closet, a light blue lace teddy, because _of course_, but Rangiku, blushing prettily, decided against wearing it. She chose one of Byakuya's spare t-shirts, an unused pair of boxers and the silk robe that came with the teddy, and then made popcorn and plopped down in front of the TV to watch a drama.

Byakuya took his time in the shower to work out how they were going to handle the announcement the next day. He would have no trouble appearing assertive and firm but Rangiku was perhaps a little too bubbly for the role of reserved wife of the Kuchiki clan head. Thankfully, he had selected the outfit she was to wear, the dark blue suit and light blue jacket was modern, youthful and most important, in its simple design gave the wearer the veneer of humility. No flashy jewellery aside from her wedding ring then and very simple makeup, and yet toning down Rangiku's natural vivaciousness was going to be hard.

Then he remembered that she was in the living room wearing what amounted to his underclothes and nothing else and nearly choked on his toothbrush.

Changed for bed, he decided to check and found her fast asleep on the couch. Perfect. He had never actually planned to let her sleep there. He tried not to think about the fact that this was to be the second night that he would carry her to bed. She stirred only a little when he lifted her from the cushions and then again when he laid her out on the bed. Byakuya was glad that she was so comfortable with him that she could sleep so deeply. He was the furthest thing from comfortable at the moment.

This was his and Hisana's house. He would not lie in this bed with another woman here. He drew the covers up over Rangiku, letting his hand linger on her shoulder a moment and then walked out of the room, pausing only to switch off the light before pulling the door shut.

But instead of going to the couch he went back to his office. The security team had called him after they had apprehended the photographer. The man was tattooed, which was not entirely unusual, but he bore the mark of Aizen Sosuke. Kouga was already making his move, it was time for the next phase of Byakuya's plans.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: As always happens with these stories, I have a scene in my head that threatens the future rating of this story. Is that okay? I'm still considering a rewrite, toning it down a little, but that (those) scene(s) is some ways from now. Also, I researched nothing about Japanese electoral process before this…stupid, yes, but I will fix that later. **_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.**_

**Nana**

Rangiku sat in the midst of a flurry of activity, calm, like the eye of the storm, thinking. She was almost done dressing for the announcement, the main event of this weekend trip. Toshiro and Byakuya were already dressed, her son sitting on the end of the bed with his phone, as usual, and Byakuya at his computer. This was going to be the second biggest event of their new lives and yet all Rangiku could think about was that Ichimaru Gin was in the hospital.

Byakuya had told her what had happened, earlier that morning in the car on the drive back to the Kuchiki Manor when she was still half-asleep and wearing his clothes. It was an accident, the prison official had said. They had been moving Gin from one cell to the other when a small-time yakuza wannabe had run up and stabbed him in the gut, twisting the shiv to maximise the damage. The guards had only just managed to save his life. And he would live, while his attacker would get a few extra charges and Rangiku would know what Aizen Sosuke meant: that no place was unattainable for him.

She glanced over at Toshiro. Byakuya had promised that he would have a guard, a discreet one, and then informed her that actually he had taken the liberty of having various tracking devices installed in Toshiro's things. These devices were supposedly the finest in the world, made right there in Japan for law enforcement through the joint Kuchiki-Shihouin labs and the work of Urahara Kisuke and Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

Rangiku was only mildly reassured. Every time she closed her eyes she would see the black limousine and the men in flashy suits come to take Toshiro away while Aizen smiled at her from the backseat.

Finally, the makeup artist finished and said, "There we go, Kuchiki-san. We're ready."

Rangiku looked up at her reflection in the mirror. They had apparently gone for the "I-just-washed-my-face-and-brushed-my-hair" look. They had transformed her into a sweet-faced girl, younger than she was, even innocent despite the fifteen year old son. She glanced over at Byakuya. He nodded at the makeup artist and stood.

"Come, we have to go now," he said.

Rangiku looked back at her reflection, then at the still-open makeup kit, snatched up a very bright orange-red lipstick and spread it over her lips. The makeup artist paused and looked at Byakuya. Rangiku snapped, "No, this is me."

The girl blanched, and Rangiku put back the lipstick and smiled at her. Then she turned to Byakuya and said, "_Now_, let's go."

The press conference had been set up out on the grounds of the manor with the backdrop of the magnificent gardens. Kouga was there with Matsuko and Tomoe. Matsuko greeted them as they arrived, "Finally, we were about to send out a search party."

Tomoe pushed past her to take Rangiku's hands. There was a flurry of flashes as the photographers already assembled tried to capture the moment all at once. Tomoe ignored them all to say, "I heard you and Byakuya spent last night at Senbonzakura. How was it?"

Rangiku could not be rude to her. She plastered on a smile and said, "Wonderful. It's a very nice house."

"House? Yes, the house is nice. I meant, how did you like the gift we gave you?" asked Tomoe, her smile sly.

Rangiku did not have to fake her blush. She ducked her head a little and said, "It was lovely, thank you. And the flowers were a nice touch."

"Good," said Tomoe, then she released Rangiku to go to Byakuya. To him she said, "When you have a daughter, pray that she inherits her mother's intelligence."

Byakuya smiled at his grandmother, and glanced over at Rangiku, his eyebrows raised and eyes wide, expression screaming "help me". Rangiku looked away to the photographers. There were quite a number taking pictures of her, still curious even after a week. They were not yet allowed to speak to her though, and she suspected that Byakuya would never give them the chance. But she wanted one to ask her a question, if only so that she might find out a little more about how Gin was doing.

"Come on, let's go sit," said Byakuya, breaking through her thoughts. She turned and followed him to the stage.

Muramasa, Kouga's weedy assistant was already onstage making the introductions. Rangiku looked at Byakuya's back, Toshiro beside him, both deep in conversation. If Aizen wanted to he could hurt Byakuya too. And just like with Gin, the authorities would write it off as an accident, a hazard of his high-profile career. But Byakuya had to have known that before he approached Rangiku with his plan. He had to have taken that into consideration.

Muramasa completed his introduction and Kouga and Matsuko went up onstage, holding hands and smiling. When it was Byakuya's turn she would have to do the same. Was she even ready for this? Being the wife of the heir of the Kuchiki was a very important position. Byakuya had promised her that she would be able to keep her career but how was that really going to work? So far he had made no demands of her, and no one had really commented on it, but the rarely seen Kuchiki women were not known for their great careers. Granted, Byakuya had so far allowed Rukia to go to Toudai, Rukia was his sister, not his wife. Had she really thought this through?

"Rangiku," said Byakuya. Rangiku looked up at him. He had his hand out to her and nodded at the stage. She took it without reply, then Toshiro's with the other and let Byakuya lead them up.

Byakuya greeted Kouga jovially while Rangiku exchanged air kisses with Matsuko. Both men lightly tousled Toshiro's hair. Toshiro's scowl never left his face. Rangiku could not resist putting a hand on his shoulder, bringing her son closer to her and planting a kiss on his forehead. He shrugged her off and some of the press laughed.

Introductions completed, Byakuya, Rangiku, Toshiro, Matsuko and Muramasa took their seats at the back of the stage while Kouga went to make his announcement. It took five minutes for Rangiku to get bored and let her mind wander. Kouga's chances of winning the election without the yakuza were very slim if this was the way he rallied. And he was doing it all wrong. If you really wanted to become Prime Minister you had to get out among the people, not the backyard of your wealthy aristocrat wife's ancestral estate. Maybe Byakuya should not try to stop him.

Byakuya beside her sat straight with his gaze trained on his uncle, looking very interested in whatever his uncle was saying. Rangiku wondered if he had learned that trick from years of practice. Or perhaps he was thinking about his own announcement? He was mere moments away from a grand coup and somehow he could still look so docile, so harmless.

He turned to her. She blushed and dropped her gaze to her lap. He really needed to stop doing that. It was not so easy to talk yourself out of falling for a man when he was very good-looking. Not even when you knew it was going to end up painfully unrequited.

Another twenty minutes passed and Rangiku began to wonder about Gin again. Was it possible for her to see him? He had expressly forbid her from going near him, and the authorities had respected his wishes because he was a prized prisoner and they needed him. But Gin was hurt. She had to see him, to know that he was still alive even if it was from the other side of a glass wall. Perhaps if she asked Byakuya nicely he would let her?

Probably not. And she could forget about sneaking off because she was very sure those tracking devices he had taken the liberty of having installed on her son's possessions also applied to her. But she _had_ to see Gin.

Rangiku was jerked out of her thoughts by the sound of applause. She looked up to see Kouga with his hands in the air showing peace signs while the audience applauded. She joined them and hoped no one had noticed the delay. Byakuya stood up then to go to his uncle, shaking his hands in congratulations before going to the podium to formally announce the family's support. More than a few female reporters leaned closer, one even hitched her skirt up a little. Rangiku scoffed. If that woman thought the sight of a little leg was going to do anything to a man who could sleep like a log with a half-naked woman beside him, she was clearly delusional.

"_Congratulations again, uncle. Let me say on behalf of my wife and myself, that we are very happy for you,"_ Byakuya began. _"The family…"_

Byakuya's speech was supposed to be brief. Kouga and Matsuko were not paying any attention to what he was saying, too busy exchanging bows and smiles with the gathered press and neighbours. They stopped only when Byakuya said that critical phrase, _"And on that note…"_

The press stopped vying for Kouga's attention and turned to the stage. They had clearly been anticipating this moment. Kouga's brow furrowed slightly while Matsuko's blanked entirely, the Kuchiki mask of indifference descending as easily as a dropped curtain. Byakuya did not acknowledge them as he continued, "I also have an announcement. Starting immediately, I will be returning to the Kuchiki Corporation. I have already resigned my position in the prosecutor's office and handed over to my replacement. I know that my departure five years ago was a disappointment to many and I will dedicate my time to making amends. With my uncle soon to be Prime Minister, he will have no time to see to the daily running of a multi-national corporation. That is my responsibility as heir and it is beyond time that I should embrace it. Thank you and good afternoon."

Byakuya turned to Kouga and bowed. Kouga was no longer confused but he gave no indication of this as he stiffly returned his nephew's bow. Matsuko's expression did not change. Rangiku stood up and went to Byakuya's side. Matsuko glanced at her, freed her hands from Kouga and walked to the podium. Byakuya's eyes narrowed a fraction.

Matsuko cleared her throat and spoke clearly. "Well, since we're all making announcements, I have one of my own."

All eyes turned to her, even Kouga looked at his wife surprised. She smiled shyly at him, ducking her head from his gaze and said, "I'm pregnant."

**0o0**

Byakuya had fallen asleep almost as soon as he lay down in the bed, thoroughly exhausted after the day's events. The announcement had prompted an emergency family meeting which the women had been locked out of but had listened in at the door anyway. The men had argued. Kouga was furious at Byakuya for what he saw as a clear attempt at sabotage. Byakuya was calm and unapologetic. He was the next head of the clan, and his uncle could not run the company and be Prime Minister at the same time. Matsuko's pregnancy changed nothing, not unless the child was a boy.

Matsuko on the other side of the door had just stared at Rangiku the entire time, Tomoe beside her. As they had descended the stage after the press conference, Matsuko had whispered to Rangiku, "Byakuya-sama will no longer be requiring your services. I'm sure you understand."

Rangiku had been too shocked to say anything but quietly follow them back to the house.

Tomoe had said nothing either until hours later when Rangiku decided to retire for the night, and then it was only, "I still want that great-granddaughter."

Rangiku did not have the heart to tell her that that was even more unlikely now. She was not an idiot. Despite his announcement, Byakuya's position as future head of the company was in trouble, or at least that much Rangiku had guessed from overhearing the other women's discussions. To keep that position Byakuya had to prove himself the better candidate, competing even now against an unborn rival as if he were also on the campaign trail. Rangiku had no idea how he was going to manage that, even with his grandmother's support. In the end it still came back to the same issue: eventually, Byakuya was going to need an heir.

Rangiku looked over at him in the darkened bedroom. He had chosen to wear a t-shirt this night, and silk pyjama pants, his hair loose about his head. She could not resist reaching over to twist a jet-coloured lock around a finger. He did not even stir, though his breathing changed slightly.

She could, if she put her mind to it, love this man. Women had been doing it for centuries, get married to a man they did not know or love, took care of his house and bore his children. But, and this was important, what the hell was she going to gain? Before Rangiku met Kuchiki Byakuya she had had everything that she could have possibly wanted out of life with what she had. She had a house, a good job, a car and her son was well on his way to winning a scholarship for university and a successful life. She had never believed that one should get married because society expected it of you and, after Gin, she could never find one that was better.

She had no idea if Byakuya was better.

She released his hair and lay back, staring up at the ceiling. There was a sound from the hall, probably Subaru on her nightly vigil. Rangiku felt kind of sorry for the girl. It was hard to love a man who did not return your feelings, she got that, but that did not mean you had to torture yourself with it.

She sat up and slipped off the bed, took up her robe and walked to the door. Sure enough, when Rangiku slid it open a bit there was Subaru on the other side, falling asleep on herself from where she sat on the opposite wall.

Rangiku watched her for a moment and then shoved the door open. Subaru jerked awake, startled, but that quickly gave way to feigned obeisance as she bowed and asked, "Is there anything you require, Kuchiki-san?"

"Yes," said Rangiku, folding her arms. "Go to bed."

"What?" Subaru asked, looking up.

Rangiku rolled her eyes and said, "You heard me. We don't need you for anything in the middle of the night and I'm very sure there's no good reason for you to be out here at this hour otherwise. Go to bed."

Subaru did not move. Instead she sat back and said, "I have been sent to watch over you. I am not to leave your side until stay is over."

Rangiku stared at her. Subaru stared back, defiant. Rangiku lifted an eyebrow and smirked at her. "Is that so?" she asked the girl.

Subaru, as yet unsuspecting, nodded. Rangiku said, "Fine." Then she turned and went back to the bed. There was no earthly reason for a woman to torture herself so. Rangiku had left the door wide open. She threw off her robe, climbed back into the bed and over Byakuya, bracing herself on her hands over him. She could feel Subaru's gaze burning into her back. She did not look over at the girl; she hesitated for only a second and then kissed her husband.

It was only on the cheek, but from Subaru's angle she doubted the girl could tell. Thank goodness he was dead asleep or she would never be able to do this. She slid a hand down his side and slipped it up under his t-shirt. She thought she felt the muscles contract but she was too busy marvelling at the fact that yes, there was very little fat under there and goodness gracious her life was unfair. She gave him a second peck near his ear, shifting closer, hoping that the silly girl would take a hint and go away already before Byakuya woke up and asked her—

"What are you doing?"

She froze and pulled back to find his clear grey eyes staring back at her. Mindful of Subaru, she smiled and replied, "Well hello there."

She shifted her eyes to the door, trying to hint that they were being watched then leaned in again, though she did not kiss him, and whispered, "We have a voyeur again."

She left her hand under his shirt though she was now very aware of where it lay against his chest. And then he rolled her onto her back, pressing her down into the mattress and put his lips to her ear and whispered back, "And you thought that molesting me was the way to get rid of her?"

Rangiku's heart skipped a beat and started racing. Subaru had gasped when he moved, but made no attempt to leave.

Rangiku removed her hand from under his shirt and put both hands around his shoulders, drawing him closer. He took her hands off his shoulders and pinned them over her head with one hand while using the other to grasp her chin and turn her face to his. Rangiku wondered if he would really do it the moment before he leaned in and kissed her.

It was nothing like the careful, chaste pecks she had given him since this ruse began. He kissed her like a lover he had not seen in months. He sucked her lower lip in between his teeth, nipped it and soothed the wound with his tongue. She gasped, surprised and he dipped his tongue into her mouth, and sucked her tongue into his own. She felt the heat pool low in her belly and tried to relax her hands and toes. The idea was to give Subaru a show, not to fall for it herself.

Byakuya kissed her until she was out of breath, then released her arms to put both of his hands around her waist and lift her into him as he seared a trail of kisses down her neck. She arched her back, despite herself, hands on his shoulders, unsure of whether she wanted to break free or let him continue. Surely Subaru had fled by now. Goodness knows, Rangiku would have disappeared at the first movement.

Then there was a clatter and the sound of hurried footsteps disappearing down the hall. Byakuya stopped with his mouth at the apex of her cleavage, close enough so that he could feel her speeding heartbeat, her shuddering breaths, and yet he released her without a word. Rangiku fell back on the bed and tried not to think that he did not look as affected as she. The shame flooded in very quickly after that and she slipped off the bed and sat down on the floor, steadfastly not looking at him. Byakuya did not look at her either, but after a moment he said, his voice cold, "Never do that again. Never make me do that again."

Rangiku squeezed her eyes shut. He may as well have slapped her. But he did not touch her, instead he got off the bed and quietly left the room.

**0o0**

Rangiku was fast asleep when Byakuya returned to the bedroom just before dawn. He was more than a little drunk, a rare occurrence for the fact that he generally abstained from alcohol but he supposed that his grandfather and old teachers could forgive him. Hisana would not.

There were visible tooth marks on Rangiku's lower lip and love bites on her neck. Tomoe would be thrilled, Matsuko would scoff and Toshiro would probably try to kill him. Byakuya wanted to kill himself. This was not the agreement. She knew that, they had both demanded it, expected it and she just decided to throw that out the window to play petty mind games with a servant. If she was a child he would have spanked her.

His traitorous brain was quick to interject. _Of course_ _you would like to spank her, wouldn't you? She was just playing a game, she barely even touched you. _You _were the one who took it too far_.

To her credit, Rangiku had seemed sufficiently ashamed of her actions. She had given him her life, not her body, and he would not take her for anything less than love. She should have known that. She could have simply shut the door and ignored Subaru. She could have dismissed the woman on the spot for insubordination and no one would have batted an eye. But of course Rangiku would not have known that or even considered it. She was like a cat. She would have first thought to _play_. No wonder her son was so exasperated with her.

Byakuya shifted the pillows aside and lay back onto the bed. Rangiku stirred slightly and then rolled to face away from him. If he was going to be perfectly honest, he was mostly angry at himself. He could have just kept pretending to sleep in the first place. Not that it was easy with the way Rangiku carelessly flaunted her sexuality. But after the day he had had, the frustration at the way Matsuko had so completely thrown his life for a loop, yet _again_, and the realisation that he would now be facing factions for a position that had been rightfully his at birth, his rational brain was quite willing to take a backseat to emotion. And emotion had wanted an outlet.

He looked over at Rangiku's back, remembering the way she had not even resisted his assault. What happened to the woman who had backed away from him in the living room of his flat on their wedding night? They had not gotten to know each other not nearly enough for her to be so comfortable with him.

He exhaled heavily. This was not going to happen again, and they were not going to speak of it either. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

He was alone in the bedroom when he awoke a few hours later, the incessant ringing of his cellphone finally breaking through the haze of his alcohol-induced slumber. He snatched the phone up and answered it without looking. Renji, on the other end, said, _"Kuchiki-san, sir, finally. Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you all morning."_

"What is it that you need, Abarai?" asked Byakuya, trying not to snap. He had not gotten a hangover, but Renji's concern was irritating at the moment.

"_Yes, sir, sorry. It's about the move, sir,"_ said Renji.

Byakuya was instantly alert. He sat up in the bed, noticing then that Rangiku was just over in the next room with Toshiro. He could hear her teasing him while they played a video game together.

"_Ne, Toshiro-kun, Kaa-san does not like this game. He should be dead, that type of gun does not work like that."_

Renji said, _"Well, I'm here trying to set up your office and the security are telling me to take everything to one of the lower departments. They're saying we've been assigned to a cubicle."_

Byakuya swore, loudly, and then got off the bed. Of course Kouga would not let Byakuya's announcement go unpunished. He was going to give him a low-level position, possibly take away his assistant and keep him out of harm's way. The plan was falling apart.

"Sir?" asked Renji. He had clearly heard Byakuya's response but would not acknowledge it.

"Go where they send you. I'm supposed to be on the board but if this is the way he wants to play, he cannot put me in any lower position than upper level manager. I have far too many qualifications and the experience and he knows it," said Byakuya.

He walked out onto the balcony to see his aunt seated with the other women. Matsuko had her hand on her still-flat stomach but she was smiling. Byakuya was a fool for thinking that the child would change nothing. Now Kouga had an even more compelling reason to fight Byakuya's succession. If the child to come was a boy, he could be head of the clan and the company. The only way for Byakuya to win was to force his uncle out entirely.

All of this would have been so much easier if Hisana had lived or if they had had a child.

"Yes sir," said Renji, and disconnected.

Byakuya watched his aunt and cousins for a while longer, and then someone cleared their throat behind him. He turned to find Tomoe glaring up at him. He sighed and said, "Yes, Grandmother?"

"What happened with Subaru? She went crying to Matsuko in the middle of the night and then ran away this morning," said Tomoe.

"And? I want no part of this nonsense," said Byakuya, glaring at a point just over his grandmother's left ear.

Tomoe scowled and said, "And I've noticed the marks you left on your wife. Are you an animal?"

At this, Byakuya looked at Tomoe directly and asked, "What is your point, grandmother? I thought you would be thrilled?"

She snorted and said, "Of course, I'm thrilled. I'd be even happier if you not stopped. Oh, don't be surprised, she told me what happened. Yes, it was foolish, but I don't see anything wrong with sleeping with your wife. That's how babies are made."

Byakuya turned away from her, back down at Matsuko and the ladies and sighed. "Really, grandmother?" he asked.

"I'm an old woman, forgive me if all I want to think about new lives instead of my impending death," she replied, cheerily. "And besides, it would not hurt to cement your position with an heir."

Byakuya did not reply and Tomoe patted him gently on the arm and said, "You will be the next head of the company and the clan. Sojun was the first-born and by right, succession goes through him. You are not an illegitimate child and Matsuko could very well be having a girl. Do not trouble yourself about something that has been set in stone since before you were born."

"And if she has a son?" asked Byakuya, insistent. "Do you know what Uncle has tried to do?"

"I've heard the whispers. It will not stand," said Tomoe. "And if Matsuko has a son, you will welcome your cousin with open arms and treat him as expected of a Kuchiki."

Byakuya looked down at Matsuko again and then asked in a low voice, "You have heard of what happened to Ichimaru Gin?"

"Yes," said Tomoe. "And she's going to want to see him. Do not allow it. Take her on a trip. You really should go on your honeymoon soon. When she comes back she absolutely must not think of that man or any other."

"This again," said Byakuya, walking back into the house. "That is not the agreement and you know it."

"Byakuya-sama," said Tomoe, sharply. He stopped in his tracks. He had no choice. There was no disobeying Tomoe in that tone. She walked into the room behind him and said, "Do you know why this family has existed for as long as it has?"

He did not answer. The question was rhetorical. She continued, "It is because we do what we must and move on the side of caution. She did you a kindness and you repaid her by bringing her into this mess. She risked her career to save yours. That was her first mistake. You approached her with an offer of marriage and she did not run away. That was the second. She is clearly falling for you. That is the third and most fatal. You need her for this to work and the easier it is for her to leave, as it still is now, the more tenuous your position. Matsuko down there is convinced of her victory. Because Rangiku-san does not kowtow to her she is now trying to close her out. If Rangiku-san leaves, you are once again out of the loop. Do not allow that to happen. You are the one who came up with this plan in the first place, there is nothing preventing you from changing the rules."

Byakuya sighed and said, "I should have stopped this from the moment I learned her history."

Tomoe lifted an eyebrow at him and then laughed. When he looked at her, surprised, she said, "Believe me, Byakuya-sama, if she was still so bothered by what happened to her she never would have gotten into this bed with you. Now, go change, get your wife and get out there as if you have not a trouble in the world."

"Yes, grandmother," said Byakuya. Tomoe acknowledged his response with a nod and left.

Byakuya did as he was told. He showered, changed, retrieved Rangiku from Toshiro's room even as the boy glared daggers at him, and took her down to where Matsuko was holding court. How quickly they had cleared away all traces of the announcement. Except for the turmoil in the house, it was as if he had never happened. Win or lose in a matter of months, the Kuchiki would be unchanged.

As they approached, Matsuko called, "Oh there you are, at last, Byakuya-sama. And Rangiku-san. We heard whispers that you all had had a very good night so we weren't expecting you until later."

Byakuya tensed, waiting for Rangiku to flinch, but instead she smiled and said, "We need food. And fresh air. I should thank you though, you _inspired_ him."

The sauciness of that smirk made the lie feel so very true and Matsuko's cheeks crimson. Rangiku went over to the lounge chair next to her and sat down. Then Eriko looked up at Byakuya and said, "This is the second time you made Subaru cry. Have you no heart?"

Byakuya ignored her and took a seat at the end of Rangiku's lounge chair. Rangiku replied, "Ah, the little voyeur. I've never understood women who go out of their way to hurt themselves. But then I think the more painful thing was that she felt that she had no choice. Poor thing."

She smiled at Matsuko as she said this. Then she looked down at Matsuko's hands and said, "Oh, have you started the morning sickness yet? That is the worst. I thought I was going to die. Was hospitalised twice. And then when that goes away the swelling starts. Fingers, ankles, face. I mean, you wind up with a cute kid but it sure does a number on your body. Thankfully Granny Hitsugaya had some remedies that you might find useful."

Matsuko's smile became condescending and she glanced at the cousins before replying, "That is quite kind of you, Rangiku-san, but there is no need. The family doctor knows best."

"Of course," said Rangiku, still smiling earnestly. "But I merely mention it because Granny Hitsugaya was a midwife. She is still consulted regularly by the hospital in our area on the more difficult cases. Breech is the worst. Do you know they actually have to reach in there and turn the baby around sometimes?"

A few of the cousins paled and Matsuko's smile froze. Rangiku nodded as if they had replied and said, "But again, in the end, you have the kid. Oh, and Toshiro hated to sleep at night. He was the weirdest little bugger. Loved the cold, don't cover him up no matter how chilly. He told me once, very seriously, he was like four when he did this, that he was a samurai warrior named Hyourinmaru and that he had come to protect me. Then he started following me everywhere with a fire helmet and a light-saber. He had the wildest imagination."

That was not how Byakuya expected Rangiku's little speech to end but he supposed she had decided against scaring Matsuko when she saw the woman looking a little green. He lay back against Rangiku's legs and said, "You should take her advice, Aunt. She has been through this before."

Matsuko grunted her acknowledgement and said, "Thank you, Rangiku-san."


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: This is super early, but there's a holiday today and I could not wait. It won't happen again though. Also, great on the feedback re: rating change. I already have some of the scenes written (yes, there's more than one) and hope I convey what I was trying to. **_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.**_

**Hachi**

They returned to Tokyo the way they had left, via helicopter, plane and car. Haru and Renji were waiting for Byakuya at Seireitei Tower, and as soon as Rangiku and Toshiro had headed off to their rooms, Renji said, "It's about the old woman, Hitsugaya-obaasan."

"Yes, she's dying, I know this," said Byakuya. "The boy does not, so do not speak of it."

Renji glanced at Haru and said, "Actually, that's what I need to talk to you about. She's been hospitalised."

Half an hour later, the three men were in the hall outside the private room where Granny Hitsugaya had been taken after she collapsed, listening to Toshiro yell at his mother for not telling him about her condition. The boy had been crying since he walked into the room and now had gone hoarse, though Rangiku was silent. Byakuya decided then and there that the boy never needed to find out about Gin. Then Renji said, "I should tell you, sir, there has been no change in Ichimaru's condition. There have been questions asked about when Rangiku-san and her son are to visit him."

"No," said Byakuya, immediately, his thoughts going to his grandmother's words the day before.

Haru's expression had not changed but Byakuya said anyway, "As a matter of fact, we have to go on our honeymoon soon."

Renji's eyes went wide and he said, "But sir…this is hardly the time."

Even Haru raised an eyebrow, but Byakuya was firm. He said, "PR is very important to our cause. Now that she is potentially carrying my uncle's heir, Matsuko will try to push Rangiku out of the clan. I have to establish firmly that she is here to stay."

Haru's eyebrow descended but he gave Byakuya a significant look. Byakuya shifted his gaze to Renji, who was as yet oblivious to the depths the Kuchiki could sink when they needed to get something done, and asked, "How goes the set up at the office?"

At this Renji smiled and said, "Ah, yes, there was apparently a grievous error and we have been moved to a new office. We'll be overseeing the legal arm of all Kuchiki operations and you have a seat on the board."

Byakuya nodded at this and began, "Good, I want all the files that I need to review sent to the house so I can start on them later. I—"

Granny Hitsugaya's room door opened and Toshiro stepped out, marched up to Byakuya and said, "She's moving in with us."

"Toshiro, wait!" called Rangiku from the doorway.

Toshiro ignored her, still glaring at Byakuya and said, "We've got room and she needs to be around people who can help her."

Byakuya glanced up at Rangiku and said, "Alright."

Toshiro's eyes widened slightly, surprised that Byakuya had acquiesced so easily, but then he gave a stiff nod and said, "Good."

Still looking at Rangiku, Byakuya said, "She will have the second bedroom."

Toshiro's mouth fell open. Clearly he had not been expecting that. The second bedroom was Rangiku's room. Byakuya turned to Haru and said, "Make arrangements to move Hitsugaya-san into the house and clear the second bedroom to accommodate her and a nurse. Renji, get those—"

"Hey," protested Toshiro, cutting him off. "Hey! Rangiku and I can take care of her. We don't need your help."

At this Byakuya raised an eyebrow at the boy and said, "Is that so? You have school and homework. Your mother's work hours are not conducive to caring for someone in Hitsugaya-san's condition. Hitsugaya-san will also need her rest. Imagine, if you will, how you would manage without me?"

Toshiro bit his lip and turned to his mother. Rangiku was still staring at Byakuya, expressionless, but then she said, "It's alright, Toshiro. He's right, we won't…have the time."

Toshiro turned back to Byakuya and said, "Hey, why don't you buy a bigger place. You have the money."

"Toshiro," said Rangiku suddenly, sharply, glaring at him.

He snapped his mouth shut. She looked at Byakuya and said, "It's okay, but Granny Hitsugaya has to agree first. Now come here, Toshiro. You have to apologise to Granny for your behaviour. We're sorry we did not tell you sooner but we wanted you to clear your mid-term classes. You know how she is, she thinks of you first."

He ducked his head lower, then bowed to Byakuya and said, "I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san."

Byakuya felt only a little bad about it as he told the boy, "It is no trouble." It was actually going to be plenty of trouble, considering Rangiku's sleeping habits. He could only hope that his new job would keep him occupied for most of the day.

Toshiro nodded at him and turned and went back into the room with Rangiku. Renji's phone rang and he walked away to answer it. Haru and Byakuya were left alone in the hall and Haru said, "I'm going to speak freely, sir."

Byakuya had been expecting this. He looked at his steward. The old man said, "This is not your idea, it is your grandmother's. I know you, sir, and you are an honourable man. What Lady Tomoe is suggesting is not."

"Rangiku will not be able to share a room with the woman, especially considering Hitsugaya-san will require a nurse. The boy is almost fifteen, it is no longer appropriate for him to be sharing a room with his mother," said Byakuya.

"That may be," said Haru, holding his gaze, "but Rangiku-san deserves far better treatment than this. She has done nothing to be treated so abhorrently. If you are going to seduce her, do not approach her with impure intentions. In the end, once again, you may be the one to suffer the worst for it."

Byakuya said nothing, thinking of Hisana as Haru intended, but after a moment nodded. Haru took out his tablet and said, "Rangiku-san's things will be ready by the time we get back to the house. The boy might have been right though, you may soon require a bigger space." Then he walked away.

In the end, Byakuya was forced to leave Rangiku and Toshiro at the hospital. Her colleagues had heard of the incident and had come to lend their support. On their way in, one of them, a tall, dark-haired, grey-eyed young man with a single "69" earring—Hisagi—gave Byakuya a hard look, then put an arm around Rangiku's shoulders. Byakuya ignored him. Rangiku would continue on to work after with her colleagues while Toshiro would return by car. Byakuya needed to get a head-start on the files for his new position and convince himself that despite Haru's very valid protests, Tomoe was right. Everything depended on Rangiku being unwilling to leave.

There was a surprise waiting for Byakuya when he finally got back to the apartment: Fujiwara Sawako.

"Hello, Byakuya," she said, standing up to greet him. Byakuya stopped in the foyer, looking at her.

His one-time fiancée and former classmate at Toudai had cut her hair short since he last saw her, but she was still the petite, pretty woman he had left. She kissed his cheek, then took his left hand and looked at the ring there. "Your wife is very beautiful. Half of the men in Japan either want to congratulate you for finding her first or kill you to get a chance with your wealthy widow."

Byakuya smiled at her and said, "I wish them luck. She would sooner arrest them. She has big plans for that money, or so she implied." He walked past her to set down his briefcase and coat. Haru took them away without a word, though he left Toshiro's textbooks where they were on the kitchen counter. Haru and Sawako had never been friends.

"Ah, yes, she is a police detective," said Sawako, taking a seat at the counter, pushing aside the boy's books. "I've never known you to have so much interaction with the departments. Imagine my surprise then, when I learned of your remarriage."

Byakuya did not like where this was going. This was Matsuko's doing, no doubt, especially considering the way this relationship had ended. He said, "You would understand that it would have been in poor taste to invite you. Also, it took place on such short notice, and before you ask, no, she is not pregnant. Matsuko is."

"I've heard that too," said Sawako, smiling at him. She was angry though, furious. Byakuya wondered then why she had even bothered to show up. But Sawako, unlike Rangiku, had been one of Matsuko's best friends.

"Why are you here, Fujiwara-san?" asked Byakuya, going to the refrigerator for a drink. There was no wine but beer. The staff had taken to stocking them after it was discovered that they were occasionally Rangiku's drink of choice. Byakuya did not care for the taste, but he could not have this conversation without a little alcohol in his system.

Sawako had blinked at his address and again when she saw the bottle, then she asked, "Is that how it is now? You wrong me and then you try to act cold?"

"No, Fujiwara-san," said Byakuya. "We are no longer in a relationship and I have married another. It would be beyond inappropriate for me to address you familiarly."

She stood up from the counter and Byakuya braced himself for the explosion. And then the door opened behind them.

It was Toshiro, with Granny Hitsugaya, and the porter with her bags. Toshiro looked up, saw Byakuya and Sawako and demanded, "Who is this?"

"My ex-fiancée, Fujiwara Sawako-san," said Byakuya.

"Oh," said Toshiro in a softer tone. The elderly woman's half-smile had not left her face but Byakuya did not miss the calculation in her gaze. So this was the woman who had raised Toshiro and had been responsible for his wife in Rangiku's teenage years. Sawako gave them a short smile. She had never been fond of children, though Toshiro was no longer one. Toshiro returned it and said, "This is Hitsugaya Maremi-san, she's my grandmother."

The adults exchanged greetings and Sawako said, "I think I should leave. I will see you around, Byakuya-sama."

Byakuya did not reply and she retrieved her handbag and quietly left. After the door closed behind her, Toshiro said, "I hope she's the only one. Rangiku does not like guys who play around with women. If she finds out that's what you're really like she would leave you immediately, no questions asked."

Byakuya lifted an eyebrow and said, "Noted. Now, Hitsugaya-san, let me help you to your room. Welcome, I've heard so much about you."

Granny Hitsugaya gave him a polite bow and said, "And I of you. Thank you for having me, please take care of me. And of Rangiku-san. She can take care of herself, I know, but sometimes it is good to have a little help."

"I would never think to impose on her freedom," said Byakuya, steadfastly not thinking about his emails with Hisagi Shuuhei or the tracking devices or the guard. "She has already done so much for me."

Granny Hitsugaya nodded at this and turned to Toshiro, "I see nothing for you to complain about. Kuchiki-san is a very polite man. Now come on, show me to my room."

"Allow me," said Byakuya, setting down the beer on the counter. Toshiro glared at him but Byakuya ignored it to take Granny Hitsugaya by the arm and lead her up the stairs.

**0o0**

Hisagi had been sneaking glances at Rangiku since he arrived at the hospital but he had not said a word. Rangiku had done her best to cover Byakuya's marks on her neck with her scarf, but lipstick had done little about the cut on her lip. Hisagi's gaze had narrowed slightly at it, and then when Byakuya had ever so casually leaned over to kiss her cheek without so much as acknowledging Hisagi's arrival. But they were now alone in the car heading to the station and stuck in some moderate traffic in light summer rain. It was only a matter of time.

She wished that she could met with Nanao instead. With Nanao she did not have to hold back a thing for fear of hurting feelings. Nanao would know what to do about the kiss and now the fact that she would be sharing Byakuya's bed for a lot longer than she thought.

Then her phone rang, breaking the silence. She plucked it out of the bag, it was Toshiro, and answered, "Moshi moshi, how are you?"

"_There was a woman in the apartment with Byakuya-san when we came in. Do you know a Fujiwara Sawako?"_

In the quiet car, Toshiro's voice echoed. Rangiku replied, "No, what were they doing?"

"_Nothing. Just talking. She looked huffy and left when we came in. Well, I think Byakuya-san might have thrown her out. He can be quite rude, you know."_

Ah, a relative then? Rangiku said, "So is snitching. But thanks for the information. I'll deal with that when I get home. You, get to bed now. Granny has to rest."

When she hung up, Hisagi asked, "How was your trip?"

Rangiku's thoughts immediately went back to the incident on the night of the announcement, but she willed herself to focus on the trip in its entirety, on meeting Tomoe and Yoruichi, and said, "Enlightening."

"The papers have been going crazy over reports that you and Kuchiki-san spent the night at Senbonzakura, and that you had been inspecting it for future renovations," said Hisagi.

Rangiku had not heard that. She said, "No, I wasn't. We had planned on going into the town and missed the turn, then decided to keep going. It's a very nice house…she made it very homely."

Hisagi glanced at her, clearly not expecting her to mention Hisana, and asked, "Is he treating you well?"

She gave him a sharp look and he had the good grace to blush, but she replied anyway, "If he did not I would shoot him. He's not stupid."

Hisagi sucked his teeth and said, "I'm being serious."

"So am I," said Rangiku, smiling. No, she would not actually shoot him, and he was quite likely to put paid to any attempts at physically hurting him, given the way he had trapped her hands the other night, his grip like a vice, but she could leave him high and dry.

"Heard his aunt's pregnant," said Hisagi.

The effect was like being doused with cold water. Rangiku stopped thinking of increasingly absurd and amusing ways to hurt a man like Kuchiki Byakuya and thought of Matsuko. The woman had spent quite a lot of time with her hand on her belly after the announcement. According to one of the less tactful cousins, this was Matsuko's first pregnancy in many years; she had miscarried at least five times and simply failed to get pregnant otherwise. Meanwhile, Rangiku had had no trouble at all. She was happy for Matsuko; she really was, given the woman's history. Rangiku had spent most of her pregnancy with Toshiro hoping that the baby would die.

"Yes," said Rangiku. "It's really early still but things are looking good for her. I hope she has a healthy child."

Hisagi took a breath, exhaled and then said, "Doesn't this mean that Kuchiki-san is no longer going to be head of the family?"

Rangiku stared at him, eyes wide. It was a bold question, though she had considered it herself. She replied, "He said that it does not matter. The child could be a girl and even then, Byakuya is next-in-line. Goodness, they sound like a monarchy."

But she was smiling as she said it. Hisagi did not. He said, "A lot of the papers were talking about a rivalry in the making…and whether they were going to hear that you're pregnant too soon."

She stopped smiling, sighed and said, "No. I'm not going to have any more children."

Hisagi quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Does Kuchiki-san know that?"

She did not reply. They continued the rest of the way to the station in silence. There was a small crowd of photographers waiting for them when they got there. Hisagi pulled up in his reserved spot and looked out. Rangiku took off her seatbelt and stared straight ahead at the building. She had hoped the reporters would have lost interest in her by then but given the announcements over the weekend that had been naïve.

"Maybe we should go around the back," said Hisagi after a moment. The rain was beating a steady tattoo on the roof.

"No," said Rangiku. "I have not done anything wrong. And Byakuya's not the only reason they're going to come after me…well, not anymore."

Hisagi looked over at her and said, "They would not have found out about Ichimaru Gin if not for Kuchiki-san."

She turned away from his gaze and said, "Yea, well, too late to do anything about that. Now come on. Let's go in before they start speculating." Then she opened the door and hopped out into the rain without waiting for him.

There were a handful of flashes as Rangiku dashed for the station front doors, but no one approached her. She halted as soon as she stood inside the station and announced cheerily, "I'm back! Did you all miss me?"

One or two people glanced up at her, but no one paused as they had the last time. Good, some things had gone back to normal. Then Yamamoto called, "Kuchiki! In my office! Now!"

It actually took Rangiku a moment to realise that he was speaking to her, and then she rolled her eyes and obeyed. As she passed her desk, Momo grinned at her but said nothing. Rangiku hoped it was nothing ridiculous, like Byakuya had somehow conspired to getting her put on a desk. His correspondence with Hisagi was troubling enough.

Yamamoto did not look up at her as Rangiku entered the office. The old general, as the officers liked to call him, was a gruff, no-nonsense man who cared more about upholding law and order than politics. From the way he set down his pen and sat back at his desk when Rangiku entered, she could see that this was a political issue.

"Kuchiki, I have a problem," he said, as Rangiku took a seat across from him.

"Sir?" she asked, smiling encouragingly.

Yamamoto grunted and said, "It seems that one day last week, one of my best detectives just up and married one of the wealthiest men in Japan."

Rangiku relaxed, but only a little, and replied, "Oh? Well congratulations are in order, I suppose."

Yamamoto did not smile back. He said, "Yes, congratulations…but the problem is, her new husband happens to be both a high-profile attorney and may soon be related to the Prime Minister of Japan. That kind of thing draws attention, from other politicians and attorneys to the press. Like the kind that have been swarming the front of the station since her marriage."

He glared now and Rangiku's smile became a grin. She had a sneaking suspicion that she would not like where this was going. She said, "Sir, I assure you that nothing has changed. I will continue to carry out my duties to the best of my abilities. I became a police officer to help people and I have no intention of turning my back on that now."

He eyed her a moment and then grunted at this, approving. Then he said, "That's not the problem. The problem is that the press has been interfering with the work of my other detectives."

Rangiku's grin vanished. She was now definitely sure she did not like where this was going. She asked, "Sir?"

He cleared his throat, then sat forward and retrieved a sheet from his papers and held it out for her. Rangiku did not reach for it. He said anyway, "Effective immediately, you're being transferred to Central. It's a day job, no more shift work, so you should be able to get home in time to make dinner."

Rangiku froze. Then she blinked. Then her mouth fell open and she blinked again. And then she said, "No."

Yamamoto lifted an eyebrow at her. She held firm, even as her hands shook with rage. After all she had been through, after all the years fighting against ignorance and sexism and condescension, she had _earned_ her place as a detective and she was not going to give it up. And she could not think of any other woman in her position that would have done so either. For what reason could they possibly mean to push her out? Just because she had gotten married? Well no, because there were other married women in the department, granted their husbands were not as famous.

She said again, "No. I'm not going. I'm a detective working vice. I signed up to do a duty and I am going to do it until I die or I resign."

Yamamoto grunted again and this time his one eye gave her a sympathetic look. His voice was less gruff too, as he replied, "I know, detective, I understand. But this came from the higher-ups. Those above me at Central are terrified of anything happening to you, in light of your marriage _and_ the attack on Ichimaru Gin the other day. They're sending you to a desk."

Rangiku felt her throat close up, her eyes stinging with tears. She would not cry, she would not, but it was going to be a struggle. She squeezed her left hand into a fist, irritated at the stupid, flashy ring there, and then looked at the paper in Yamamoto's hand again.

"I am truly sorry, detective," he said.

Rangiku stood up and took the letter from him. She wanted to rage. She wanted to tell him about the cases she had closed, and the girls she had saved and the network that she had developed and maintained that helped hide those the police could not help. But she did not. It would have been disrespectful to her colleagues. Instead she said, "Thank you, sir, for having me."

Yamamoto nodded at her. She turned and headed for the door but just before she could open it, he said, "It's been a pleasure, detective."

Rangiku nodded at him then slipped out into the hall. She stood just outside his door for a moment, gathering her thoughts, then looked up and around for Momo. The petite officer popped into her line of sight, brow furrowed slightly. Rangiku smiled at her and then beckoned her over with a finger. The girl got up and started over for her at once, clearly expecting gossip.

There was no way in hell Rangiku was going quietly.

**0o0**

When Kuchiki Byakuya finally left his home office and went to bed that night, he was surprised to find someone already in it. Rangiku was fast asleep, in what looked like the clothes she had left for work in, an empty bottle of gin in one hand and a glass of melted ice on the night table. He had seen in her file that she liked to drink, but he had not heard anything about her doing it often. Something must have gone wrong at work though he could not imagine what. Hisagi had not messaged him about any more dead girls.

He walked around to her side of the bed and looked down at her. She had removed her shoes, but she still wore the powder blue jacket, white vest and floral pencil skirt she had donned that morning to leave Kuchiki Manor. He bent forward, lifted her legs and straightened her on the bed. There were dried tears on her face, the pillow damp as he smoothed her hair.

She murmured something as she resettled and he waited a beat to see if she would wake up. When she did not, he took up the glass and bottle and went back down to the kitchen.

Her phone was on the counter. He did not even think about it before he flipped it open and looked at the screen. Twenty missed calls, forty messages, including voicemail, most of which were from "Shuu-kun", followed closely by "Nanao-chan" and "Momo-chan". Another message buzzed into the phone in his hand, from Shuu-kun again, "_Listen, you know he's not worth this. This is your life. Leave him now. You and Toshiro can stay with me, no questions asked._"

Byakuya closed the phone and then tossed it. It scattered on impact, protective case, battery cover, battery and phone going in different directions on the living room floor.

This was the last thing he wanted to deal with. Going through the files was a long, tedious process that while helpful, in that he now knew what had happened in the first year since his departure, was also ridiculously time-consuming. It would probably take months for him to be fully up-to-date on where they were going and in that time more work would be accumulating. He also had a sneaking suspicion that his predecessor had not really been doing his job because some of the cases could have been closed on the day they were filed.

He walked over to the living room to collect the separate parts of the phone. He paused before he could pick up the first piece though, for Granny Hitsugaya already had the whole thing in her hands.

"Ah, good night," he said, awkwardly. It had been so very long since Byakuya had been uncomfortable in the presence of another.

She smiled at him and said, "I was just admiring the view."

He nodded at this and she handed him the phone. He took it from her, without looking at her and she said, "Please, be gentle with this. Toshiro worked very hard to get it for her birthday."

Now Byakuya felt worse, but he only nodded again and asked, "Is the room to your liking?"

"Yes," she replied, and after a moment, "Hisagi-kun is an honourable man. He will respect your marriage."

Byakuya wondered how she knew, then guessed that the young man might have called the house, and said, "I was thinking about something else and reacted poorly."

She patted his hand and then got up and walked into the kitchen, switching on the light as she did so. Byakuya followed, more out of curiosity than anything else. When she reached for the kettle, he said, "I can call for the cook."

She replied without looking at him, "There is no need. I want to make my own tea. Would you like a cup?"

"Yes," said Byakuya, taking a seat at the island counter.

Granny Hitsugaya had apparently familiarised herself with the kitchen in the short time she had been in the house for she retrieved the tea and two mugs without difficulty. Then she said, "Fifteen years ago, I remember sitting with Rangiku on a night like this, listening to her cry about how her life was over. She was only thirteen and she had been through something horrible and then she found out that she was pregnant. I tried to be optimistic; I tried to tell her that all would work out in the end, and that I would be there with her every step of the way. But I will confess I had no idea if what I was saying was true. After all, how many men would willingly marry a woman like her?"

Byakuya said nothing, waiting. The kettle clicked off and Granny Hitsugaya poured the water into the cups, added sugar and set one cup for him before taking the other and joining him at the counter.

She caught his gaze and said, "Ichimaru Gin and I refused to let fall into despair. I helped her raise Toshiro, go back to school and get into the police force. He kept the monsters off her back as well as he could and brought her money and food. We watched her do all of the things that she thought that she could not do. When I learned earlier this year that I was dying, I thought, it does not matter, I have had a good life, and though Gin is gone, Rangiku and Toshiro are fine. And then she met you."

Byakuya sat up straight. She smiled, though her eyes were sad and said, "She came home half-drunk some hours ago telling me that they had transferred her to a desk because she had gotten married and that she 'would be home in time to make dinner'. I would not advise that. Rangiku cannot cook."

Still trying to process the news of the transfer, he said, "We have a chef."

Granny Hitsugaya nodded at him and said, "What did you promise her when you asked her to marry you? I know it could not be the moon because Rangiku has never been one for fairy tales, unless she's the one telling them…and you do not look like a frivolous man."

Byakuya did not think it wise to say another word. The old woman watched him for a beat and then looked down to her cup and said, "I hope it is worth it. So far the only one who has lost anything, yet again, is her."

"I would never let anyone hurt her, least of all myself," said Byakuya.

"Forgive me for not being convinced, given the way you treat her possessions," said Granny Hitsugaya.

"Do you think I am a dishonourable man?" he asked, jaw tight.

She smiled and shook her head. "No, Kuchiki-san. I think Rangiku was foolish for going along with your plan, I think that she will end up the worst for it, and that this can only end in disaster. Aizen Sosuke destroyed her life and when asked, could not recall the incident in which it happened."

"He seems very interested in her for someone who has no memory of ruining her," said Byakuya.

Granny Hitsugaya closed her eyes and groaned, but before Byakuya could ask if she was in pain, she said, "Toshiro. He thinks the boy belongs to him because he ordered the attack that led to his creation. He tried to take him away from her once, when the boy was only a year old, came up to the house and had his men pull the child out of her arms. Gin only got him back by claiming that the child was his. I don't know why Aizen took Gin's word for it, but if he had not, Toshiro might have become a monster.

"I won't let him get to Toshiro," said Byakuya, holding her gaze.

"He has already been to your house," said Granny Hitsugaya. When Byakuya's eyes widened, she said, "He sent me an email. His men followed you to the estate. He sent me pictures of Rangiku in your bed. Do not be so shocked, he fashions himself a god and so he must appear omnipresent and omnipotent. I did not tell her, I leave that to you."

Byakuya nodded at this and then said, "I had nothing to do with her transfer. I would not have arranged any such thing. I will find out why it happened."

"Do that," said Granny Hitsugaya. "But be warned, once Aizen has turned his attention to you, he will not let you go until he wants to. Marrying Rangiku has no doubt made you very interesting to him for he will see it as a challenge to his authority. And he takes challengers very seriously."


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: The Arrancar arc had like, the best music of the Bleach series. Seriously. I love the Diamond Dust Rebellion too. Also, while some details of the Tokyo MPD are factual, a lot of the rest is stuff I made up. Wikipedia can only help so much. **_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.**_

**Kyu**

When Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji walked into the lobby of the Kuchiki Corporation that morning, all activity ceased. Byakuya ignored them. They had all heard his announcement. He headed directly for the elevators, Renji beside him, and almost made it before a young woman, apologising and bowing profusely, caught up to them, calling, "Kuchiki Byakuya-sama, please wait."

He stopped and looked over at her. She was a short, black-haired girl, barely out of her teens, with odd, pink-coloured eyes. The nametag on her chest read "My name is Loly". She smiled and said, "Kuchiki-sama, Kuchiki Kouga-sama has requested that we take you directly to his office, if you would please follow me."

Byakuya glanced at Renji. His assistant looked just as confused. Still, they followed the young woman to another elevator on the other side of the lobby, a private one meant for the chairman only. It was a long, silent ride to the top, though Byakuya maintained his façade of indifference while burning with curiosity. Sure it was common practice for new employees to meet their supervisor on arrival in the company, but Byakuya and Kouga had just been in each other's presence a few days earlier.

His uncle's office was, of course, on the top floor of the main building, modelled on the meeting hall at the Kuchiki estate but with expensive imported shades instead of the traditional but ancient ones at the house. Kouga was seated at his desk when Byakuya entered, alone, and smiled when he saw his nephew, before standing up and walking around the desk to shake Byakuya's hand.

"Nephew, welcome, welcome," he greeted, grinning broadly.

There were a few clicks, as a waiting reporter and the PR personnel captured the moment and Byakuya tried to appear as agreeable as possible…or at least until the others were outside of the room. There was no doubt his uncle was waiting for the same thing. Assuredly, the moment the door closed behind them, Kouga turned to Byakuya and said, "Tell me the truth, Byakuya, is your wife pregnant?"

Byakuya lifted an eyebrow, surprised at the question, but did not reply. His uncle's expression did not change. He said, "If you send her away, I don't care where, just out of the country, I will install you as head of the company immediately. You are right that I will not have the time with the campaign and you are more than qualified to take over. But your wife has to go."

Byakuya still said nothing, just stared at his uncle. After a moment, Kouga said, "There is a catch, of course. My son shall be your successor. He is a Kuchiki, after all." He waited for Byakuya's response, and when none was forthcoming, he scowled and said, "You would sully our family line with a yakuza whore?"

At this, Byakuya said, "You have read her file. She is not yakuza. Not to mention that if her father had not squandered his inheritance, her family would have had higher standing than yours, well, before you threw away their name to join with Kuchiki."

Kouga scoffed and said, "Send her away. Send her to China or Australia, I don't care where, just get rid of her and the company is yours."

"I'm afraid that I cannot do that. I know it has been only a short while but I've grown quite attached to Rangiku. Regrettably, uncle, I must decline. And also to your offer that I make your son my heir, reasonable though it is, for we do not yet know what my dear aunt is going to have," said Byakuya.

Kouga said nothing to this, and Byakuya said, "Furthermore, that I shall succeed you has already been set in stone. Regardless of whether you wish to or not, when you take your leave-of-absence for your campaign, I will be taking control of the company."

"No, you won't," said Kouga.

Byakuya waited, and Kouga smiled at him, baring teeth, and said, "Things have changed since last you have been here. My vice-chairman will be holding the reins, you remember this individual, Fujiwara Sawako?"

Byakuya's eyes widened in time with his uncle's smile and Kouga said, "Yes, of course, she was your fiancée. Though young, she has done quite well for herself. I'm sure you two will have a wonderful time working together."

So this was what his uncle had in mind. Kouga turned away from Byakuya and walked around his desk to sit and said, "Well then, Byakuya-sama, your new office is on a much lower floor, but it is definitely worthy of a man of your talents. We shall have a welcoming party in a few days, do bring Rangiku-san along. I've heard that she has also received a new position?"

Byakuya did not answer or wait for further dismissal. He turned and quietly left.

Renji was waiting for him outside the office. When he saw Byakuya's expression, he dropped his gaze, lowered his voice and asked, "How bad is it, boss?"

Byakuya waited until they were in the elevator heading to his new office to reply, "Not as bad as I expected, but much worse. According to my uncle, Fujiwara Sawako has been appointed acting chairman in the place of Kuchiki Kouga for the duration of his campaign. I am within my rights to challenge the decision, but she has been working here longer than me and knows everyone. Fortunately for me, she is a woman. I would have to win their favour here but I expect that I would have little difficulty unseating her if I appealed to some of the board members' sexism."

"But you're next-in-line," said Renji. The elevator stopped and he and Byakuya stepped out into a corridor made up a series of glass-walled small offices leading to a pair of granite double doors that was Byakuya's new office. His new staff, men and women ranging in age from late twenties to early fifties, all stood in the doorways of their offices to greet him. They numbered about ten in all, and were made up of paralegals and corporate lawyers aggressively recruited from Toudai and other companies to further the Kuchiki interests. When Byakuya looked at them, they all bowed. He and Renji returned the bow, and marched through them to the office.

Byakuya recognised no faces, which was understandable given that his previous field did not often lend opportunities for their paths to cross. Renji said as they went, "Everything's already been set up. I have put all the cases you requested on your desk and the files on each member of staff in this department as well. They will come in to you when you call for them."

A young woman was waiting for them in Byakuya's new office. Dressed in a dark grey, pinstripe suit with puffed-sleeves, a long skirt and combat boots, her hair in high pigtails and sporting a miniature top-hat, she looked like a Gothic Lolita-cum-secretary. She did not wait for introduction but said, "Hello. I am Sanderwicci Cirucci, I will be your secretary. It's a pleasure to meet you, Byakuya-sama, sir."

Her lips were purple. She bowed and extended her hand for a hand shake. Byakuya wondered how on earth she managed to get a job at the Kuchiki Corporation looking like that, then remembered Renji and said, "Good morning, Sanderwicci-san. If you will excuse us…."

She straightened, gave a curt nod and left.

When Byakuya glanced at Renji for explanation, he said, "She was hired by your predecessor but her HR records are spotless and top-notch. Apparently she is a very hard worker and said in her interview that she intended to work for the company president."

"Ambitious," said Byakuya. "But the part about her working for my predecessor worries me. He was quite incompetent." Then he looked at the mountain of files on his desk and said, "They all worry me."

Renji glanced at the doorway and asked, "Do you want us to get rid of them?"

Byakuya walked around the desk and sat down. "No," he said. "Let's not shake things up yet. It's only the first day."

He tapped the desk with two fingers, the signal for the possibility that they were being watched, and Renji nodded. A team would sweep the room later for spy equipment, an annoying but necessary task. Byakuya then pulled the first file from the desk and said, "Right, now, send in Cifer Ulquiorra."

"Yes sir," said Renji, and he turned and headed for the door.

**0o0**

There was an unfamiliar young man in the apartment with Granny Hitsugaya and Toshiro when Rangiku came down to head off to work.

"Lindocruz Tesra," he said with a bow when he saw her. A handsome youth with sandy blond hair and light blue eyes, he wore scrubs and a cardigan and, oddly enough, an eye-patch. It made him look a little bit like a hipster pirate.

"My nurse," clarified Granny Hitsugaya, smiling at him.

"Yes," he said, stepping away from the table where he had been checking Granny Hitsugaya's blood pressure to greet Rangiku.

"Okay," said Rangiku.

"Kuchiki Rangiku-san, it is a pleasure to meet you. I had hoped to meet Kuchiki Byakuya-san before he left but I was informed when I arrived that he had already left. I know that many husbands are not comfortable with a young man in their household with their wives when they are away," said Tesra.

"Bah," said Rangiku, dismissing his explanation with a wave. "Byakuya is rich, young and handsome. You would be a threat if he was fifty, fat and balding."

"Told you," said Toshiro without looking up from his breakfast.

Rangiku met the young man's gaze though, to say, "Please take care of our grandmother."

"Of course, Kuchiki-san," said Tesra, smiling pleasantly.

Meeting Granny Hitsugaya's young male nurse had worked wonders in distracting Rangiku from her issues with walking into Central, half an hour later. The headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was an imposing brick and glass wedge-shaped structure in the heart of the city. Rangiku had been there only a handful of times and on those occasions she had been accompanying commanding officers. And now she would be working there. Admittedly, it was closer to home but it was not where Rangiku had pictured her career heading, at least not for another decade.

Forgoing the Kuchiki driver, Rangiku drove herself in. No need to make it any more obvious that her husband was partially responsible for her career change. Most of the people she met in the car park and on her way into the building were in civilian wear, understandable as this was primarily the administrative arm of the force. In fact, the building stood behind the Ministry of Justice. Rangiku had been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Bureau: Robbery and Sex Crime Division, which basically oversaw the way these crimes were managed by other departments. On the one hand, it would allow her to track crimes similar to the one Hisagi was currently investigating. On the other, it took her out of the field entirely.

They would have to forgive her for not skipping happily into the building. Still, Rangiku kept her mood in check all the way through the brief registration and orientation process. Then she was deposited at her new department and walked in to be greeted by what looked like a California surfing queen-turned-gravure model-turned-lawyer, Tier Harribel, and her trio of assistants, Apacci Emilou, Franceska Mila Rose and Sun-Sung.

"Kuchiki-san," Tier began, greeting Rangiku with a smile that did not reach her eyes. "A pleasure to meet you at last, welcome to Central."

"Thank you, Harribel-san," said Rangiku, smiling back. The three assistants barely looked up from their desks, though the youngest, Apacci, turned up her nose a little at Rangiku before she looked away.

"Well then, let me give you a rundown on what you will be doing from now on. I understand that you did not want to come here?" asked Harribel.

Rangiku did not want to lie. She said, "It's not my first choice."

Harribel nodded at this and said, "Nevertheless, I think you will find that our work here is fundamentally connected to what you were doing before. Your experience as a former victim and investigator will also prove invaluable."

Rangiku blinked at the woman. No one had ever been so blunt about her history before. Tier continued, apparently unconcerned, "While for the most part we will not be heading out in the field, you may from time to time be required to visit stations and departments to monitor or update their procedures. Since you're new here, I'll ease you into the work. For now you can have that seat by the window there and familiarise yourself on our office procedures and your desk. Your predecessor left you a handbook."

Rangiku glanced over at her new desk. There was a small mountain of paperwork on it. She gulped. Someone was definitely out to punish her. She hated paperwork and here she was stuck in an office where she would be faced by nothing but paperwork for goodness knew how long. Clearly, she would be substituting vodka for water if she was ever going to survive.

"Okay," said Rangiku. Tier nodded at this and walked away. Rangiku took a deep breath and walked over to her new desk.

An hour later and Rangiku had barely made it through the first chapter of the handbook, which was the size of the telephone directory and most definitely not light reading. This was not going to work. Nanao and Momo had better come through for her and fast or Rangiku was going to lose her mind. She closed the handbook, pushed away from her desk and said, "Say, where's the washroom?"

No one looked up or gave any indication that they had even heard her. Rangiku scowled and repeated the question a little louder. The one who had snubbed her earlier, Apacci, looked up then and snapped, "Find it yourself, trophy wife."

Rangiku stared at her, wide-eyed. Then she stood up and walked out of the office and down the hall until she found one.

Clearly she and her new co-workers were not going to be friends, and for what? That she had married a wealthy man? If that was Apacci's reason, it was a stupid one. As far as Rangiku could tell, she had never met the woman before so it was unlikely they had had some kind of bad run-in. Byakuya was also not some prize to be won. Sure he was wealthy, young and attractive, and prior to marriage had been one of Japan's most eligible bachelors, but he was a person not an object and Rangiku's reasons for marrying him had nothing to do with that. Granted, those things had helped her decision along, Rangiku would have never married him, or stayed that way, if he turned out be some kind of asshole.

When she walked back into the office, Apacci was standing in front of her desk with her arms folded, sneering.

Rangiku stopped before her and asked, "Is there something that you needed?"

"Your phone was ringing. You should probably put that on silent in here," she said, still sneering.

"Oh, oops, sorry," said Rangiku, walking around the desk to retrieve her phone. The call had come from Byakuya, probably trying to find out if she had gone to work and was still there. Rangiku sent him a sarcastic message full of emojis and netspeak, and then set the phone to vibrate and set it back on her desk. When she looked up, Apacci was still there.

"Yes?" she asked, smiling. It was not in Rangiku's nature to be rude to someone she had just met but this young woman was trying her patience.

Apacci looked Rangiku over, grunted and then said, "I was just wondering what you're doing here. Don't you types just retire after you marry up? Why aren't you on a beach somewhere or spending your way through your new sugar daddy's bank account?"

Rangiku inhaled, all politeness wiped away in a matter of sentences. She did not have to respond to Apacci. In fact, one of the two other women had stood up after Apacci spoke, meaning to censure her. Rangiku replied anyway, glaring, "I am _no one's_ trophy wife. I'm here because this is my job. I was a police officer before I met my husband and I'm not giving that up for all the money in the world. If you're here for any other reason than the desire to see justice served or our job handled right, well, that's not my problem but please don't project your bullshit onto me."

Apacci straightened as if Rangiku had slapped her. The other women went back to their work without comment. Rangiku pulled the handbook back to her and pretended to read it. She had long decided that she was not going to bother. Whatever she needed to know she could find out later. She steadfastly ignored the outraged woman before her desk and after some time, Apacci swung round in a huff and stomped away.

Rangiku suppressed the urge to sigh and took up her phone to text Nanao. They were definitely going to have lunch together today if for no other reason than for Rangiku to vent.

**0o0**

It was a rare indulgence to a whim. Byakuya and Hisana had never had children, due to her health, and the then fifteen-year-old Rukia was much too frightened of her new brother most of the time to be a viable substitute. Byakuya's insistence of taking the teen with him everywhere too, had led to unfortunate rumours for the way she responded to his every address like a cornered rabbit. Basically, Byakuya had no idea how to be a father and had not learned and now he had another fifteen-year-old to deal with, and this one was his stepson. So why not have a little stepfather-stepson bonding time?

The limousine rolled to a stop outside the front gate of Toshiro's school a minute before the bell rang for the end of the school day. Byakuya spent the time debating whether or not he should just go ahead and let the usual car take the boy home. Before he could make up his mind though, there was a sudden deluge of uniformed boys running, hopping, whooping and hollering as they raced out of the school on their way to activities or home or juvenile delinquency. It took twenty minutes for Toshiro himself to appear alongside another boy, dark-haired and tall. He had no lessons or activities that afternoon, Byakuya had checked, and so was supposed to be making his way home. He stopped though, when he saw the limousine.

Byakuya rolled down the window for Toshiro to see him and then the driver opened the door. Toshiro climbed in after bidding his friend goodbye, "See you, Kusaka."

"_Hey, call me Sojiro-kun, we're friends!"_

He aimed a suspicious look at Byakuya and ignored the students behind him shouting, _"Hey look, Shiro-chan's new Tou-sama just came to pick him up!"_

"_Well look who's moved up in the world!"_

"_Hey, Shiro-chan, can I get a ride too?"_

"_Is your Kaa-san in there? Nee-sama! I love you!"_

The door shut and silenced them. The driver got back in, the car started and pulled out onto the main road and Byakuya said, "Relax, your mother is fine. I wanted us to have an evening out."

Toshiro leaned back into the seat and said, "This thing's not supposed to last long enough for this to matter, but whatever."

Byakuya had been expecting the hostility, so he said, "Your mother has told me that you like football. There is a league match in the area that I have secured tickets for. Or would you prefer to go home?"

Toshiro was staring intently at his phone, though Byakuya noticed that his eyes had not moved since the mention of "league match". After a moment, the boy muttered, "Whatever." There was noticeably less acid to his tone.

Byakuya decided to accept the small victory for what it was and directed the driver to proceed.

They never made it.

The SUV rammed the limousine on the driver's side, slamming both Byakuya and Toshiro into the opposite door and sending the vehicle into a nearby light pole. Byakuya could do nothing to spare Toshiro the damage as the car buckled around them, glass shattering, the splinters flying, metal shearing, the jagged edges tearing through the upholstery and Byakuya's and Toshiro's clothing and skin. There was a moment of silence and pain, where Byakuya shook off the dark spots in his vision and then realised that Toshiro was unconscious, and then the car was rammed again.

The opposite door popped open on impact and Byakuya rolled out, pulling Toshiro with him, trying to cushion the boy's body with his own. The unforgiving pavement was covered in glass that pierced Byakuya's clothing as they landed on it. He ignored it, reaching back into the car for the compartment under the seat and pulling out his licensed handgun. The first hit could have been an accident; the second made it an assassination attempt. As the limo was rammed a third time, Byakuya lifted the gun, sighted through the ruined back passenger window and fired once.

There was a howl of pain. Byakuya glanced down at Toshiro. The boy was blinking open his eyes and groaning. Byakuya could not tell how badly hurt the boy was but he hoped it was nothing more than a concussion. He kept his gun trained on his target through the door but took quick glances to his left and right. There was a small crowd gathering, though not too closely. Some of them screamed when they saw the gun.

Then Byakuya heard a crunch from his left, like someone taking a careful step on the broken glass, and he shifted targets and fired. There was a yelp and then the person shuffled back, stumbled and fell, sending the gun in their hand flying into the nearby fence wall.

Toshiro had flinched at the sound of the gunshot and put his hands over his ears. When he noticed the glass embedded in his skin, he groaned, "Ow…"

"Be quiet," said Byakuya, waiting for their attackers' next move.

Someone had called the police. There were sirens in the distance and coming closer. Byakuya refused to relax. If this was Aizen's doing, those police officers were probably not on their way to help him.

"You bastard motherfu—" shouted someone, just as the pavement beside Byakuya exploded into fragments and tiny missiles. He rolled; turning Toshiro with him, then got into a crouch and dragged the boy around the light pole where the body of a slim, tall blond man lay. Toshiro inhaled sharply at the sight of the man's head blown open but otherwise made no sound. Their attacker was still firing, and walking closer. They would not be able to remain where they were for much longer.

And then suddenly there was the sound of an assault rifle and their attacker stopped firing and dropped. Byakuya caught a glimpse of a short, dark-haired man in a sparkly, black and purple crop top and white harem pants and then someone called, "Byakuya-ku—s_ama_, sir, sorry for the delay, are you alright?"

It was Kusajishi Yachiru, the head of Toshiro's security team. A moment later, her bubble-gum pink head popped around the light pole and she said, "Ooh, good, he's still alive. Sorry about that, Ken-chan and I got cut off by the second car."

Byakuya stood up carefully and then helped Toshiro after. The boy was bleeding profusely from a head wound but his gaze seemed to steady, if a little glassy and though pale and bruised, he was still very much alive. To Yachiru, Byakuya said, "Take him to the hospital and have someone fetch Rangiku and Hitsugaya-obaasan. I will stay here to talk the police."

Yachiru lifted an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea? You look like hell."

"I'm fine," said Byakuya. He released his hold on Toshiro's arm but the boy suddenly pitched forward. Byakuya only just caught him before he smashed his face into the pavement.

"Change of plan?" asked Yachiru.

Byakuya turned away from her just as the paramedics came running up, flanked by police officers. He lifted the boy into his arms and headed straight for the gurney.

An hour later, he stood in the hospital holding onto Rangiku as she bawled into his shoulder. Toshiro was going to fine, only a concussion and a broken arm and some minor cuts and scratches. He was in the room with Granny Hitsugaya because Rangiku had been sent out for being hysterical. It was such a stark contrast from his wife's usual manner that Byakuya had felt a surge of protectiveness and refused to let her out of his sight, if only to let her rest in an adjacent room like a nurse suggested. Her son had nearly been killed, she needed Byakuya's support.

Byakuya had fared a little better, save for some persistent ringing in his ears that he only noticed when he got to the hospital, he had only been scratched up. The doctor commended his efforts to spare his stepson worse injury. Rangiku had expressed some relief at the sight of him, and her arms around his chest now were tight though she sometimes whispered apologies, through her tears, for causing him any discomfort. Byakuya decided that it was better if he did not respond. He had other concerns anyway.

Byakuya suspected that the intention had not necessarily been to kill Toshiro. No, though his limousine had come from Toshiro's school, Toshiro usually went to school in a white Toyota Crown. In fact, according to Yachiru, their car had been blockaded by men with guns demanding that they hand the boy over or they would shoot. Byakuya's whim had thwarted their abduction attempt…and almost got the boy killed in the process.

"Kuchiki Byakuya-san…Rangiku, can we talk for a minute?" asked someone, when finally Rangiku had quieted. She stood with her head pressed against Byakuya's shoulder, staring into Toshiro's room while the nurses did their checks. Byakuya would have preferred his wife to be a little shorter than the mere two-and-a-half inches that separated their heights, if only for making comforting her a little easier.

Byakuya looked at the speaker, annoyed at their lack of honorific in addressing his wife to find that it was Hisagi. Rangiku, kept her head turned away. She did not want to speak to anyone; she had not been there anyway.

"I'll talk," said Byakuya.

Hisagi did not look particularly enthused at the response, but said, "It's about the attack. The men who shot at you are both dead and the others escaped. We were wondering if perhaps you recognised them."

Byakuya refrained from rolling his eyes and said, "I assure you that I do not usually associate with the yakuza. But the men who attacked me are affiliated with Aizen Sosuke."

Rangiku stiffened in his arms and then squeezed her hands into fists at Byakuya's back. Hisagi's eyes went wide and he asked, "Are you sure? It could be someone with a grudge for the way a past trial went."

"No, it was Aizen," said Byakuya. "He's the only one with the resources. They had not been after me anyway. They were trying to kidnap Toshiro."

At this, Rangiku pulled away to look him in the eyes, though she kept her grip on his jacket. Byakuya refused to look at her as he clarified, "My people tell me that they demanded his handover. They had not been expecting me to have him with me instead."

Hisagi was staring at Rangiku, but he nodded after a moment and said, "Well unfortunately, though rumours say otherwise, we have no official information regarding Aizen's possible return. The best we can do is to follow up all possible avenues, which is why I'm still going to need the names and addresses of anyone who may have a grudge against you, and advise you to reinforce your security." He let his gaze meet Byakuya's and said, "Toshiro is important to a lot of people."

Byakuya nodded at this and said, "Then you best catch the persons responsible as soon as possible. My people will conduct their own investigations and will be happy to share whatever they obtain."

Hisagi gave a reluctant nod and then looked at Rangiku and said, "We won't let him get Toshiro."

Rangiku shook her head and said, "I cannot believe that after all this time he still wants him. Toshiro's fifteen. There's nothing to be gained from taking him. Toshiro's too smart to do whatever Aizen wants him for."

"If this is Aizen, this may have nothing to do with Toshiro personally. He could be trying to get at Ichimaru Gin," said Hisagi.

Byakuya had to agree with that. Rangiku shook her head and said, "That doesn't make any sense, he tried to kill Gin before."

"Doesn't have to make sense to us, this is Aizen, it will make sense to him," said Hisagi, shaking his head.

And to think, this was the man Kouga had aligned the Kuchiki with. Byakuya glanced into the hospital room at the pale-faced boy on the bed and said, "My family will not be party to his mind games. If he tries something like this again, I assure you, detective, that you will need more than two body bags."


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: This was not the original chapter ten, but after review I realised that some stuff would not make sense if it was not there. Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing. **_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.**_

**Juu**

A giggling toddler, white-haired and red-faced, tiny watermelon seeds all over his face, neck and the front of his brightly-coloured yukata; Gin's smiling face, swinging the little boy up onto his shoulder, a fox mask on his head; the fireworks; another smiling man, brown hair and eyes, a handsome face; grim-faced men in dark sunglasses and bright hair, the screaming toddler, the air going out of her lungs as she was slammed into the ground…Rangiku jerked awake.

The bedroom was pitch black, the heavy drapes on the windows blocking out all but the brightest light. Byakuya was still asleep, face turned towards her; she could hear him breathing softly. At least he was alright. He had not let on any sign that he was in pain until they had left the hospital and Toshiro and Granny Hitsugaya had gone to bed. Rangiku had caught him wincing when he removed his shirt, having refused treatment at the hospital and then saw the spots of blood on his back. And then he had gone for a shower and when he returned, dressed for bed, he wore no shirt and lay on his stomach.

She slipped off the bed as quietly as she could, grateful for the fact that Byakuya usually kept to his side. He did not stir. She padded across the floor barefoot, eased the door open and went out into the hall. No one else was awake. The city lights filled the living room with muted colours. She went to Toshiro's room and gently pushed the door open. Her son was awake.

"What are you doing, Rangiku?" he asked without looking up from the video game he was playing with the volume turned down.

She decided not to lie. She walked in, closed the door behind her and said, "Checking in on you. How are you?"

He paused the game and said, "Fine, they gave me painkillers."

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" she asked, going over to him. He did not reply and she swept her hand through his hair and kissed his forehead.

He pulled away from her with a groan, "Kaa-san…"

She inhaled sharply, then sat on the bed beside him to wrap her arms around his waist and squeezed. Rangiku could count the number of times Toshiro called her "Kaa-san" on one hand. When she was younger, it had been at once wonderful and heart-breaking, for people would assume he was her baby brother if they did not know her. That he would do it now….

"Come on, Rangiku! I'm trying to play!" he protested. He did not shake her off though and she smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I could have lost you today. If Byakuya wasn't there…" she said, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Well, he was," said Toshiro, still refusing to look at her. He would not. Since he was three she had only rarely seen her son cry and only then because she had walked in on him in the act. The last time had been when Karin's mother had been killed. After a moment he added in a low voice, "Byakuya-san…he _killed_ two people. He just shot them without hesitating. What kind of lawyer can kill people like that?"

Rangiku thought back to what Byakuya had told Hisagi in the hospital room and replied, "I know. But if he did not they would have hurt you…they could have taken you away. They would have killed him to do it too."

They sat silently for a time after she said this, both watching Mario's go-kart frozen in mid-vault over his racing rivals. Then Rangiku said, "You have to thank him."

"I know," said Toshiro. "I…I was going to do it before but he wouldn't listen…I think he thought I was still delirious in the hospital."

Rangiku kissed Toshiro's hair and said, "His back got hurt. He's trying to be manly about it but his back hurts."

Toshiro snorted. "That's dumb."

Rangiku pulled her hands away to pinch his cheek and scolded, "Don't call your Tou-san 'dumb'."

"He's not my father," said Toshiro, giving her a scathing look.

"Temporary acting father," corrected Rangiku.

Toshiro rolled his eyes and resumed his game. "Well go take care of him or something. He is your husband."

Rangiku kissed Toshiro one last time, hugged him until he squealed and wiggled out of her arms and then got up and walked back out into the hall. She met Byakuya at the door.

"Oh! Hello," she said, stepping back into the door, smiling at him.

"Is Toshiro alright?" he asked, looking past her to the door. It was still quite dark in the house, Rangiku had no idea what time it was, but she could just make out the features of his face. It was almost absurd how handsome Byakuya was, more so that he looked so concerned for her son.

"Yes," she said. "He's taking advantage of the doctor's certificate to catch up on his gaming. I just think he's too frightened to sleep."

Byakuya nodded at this and turned to head back to the room. She felt something twist in her stomach at the sight of his bruised back. "Hey, wait," she said, stepping after him.

He stopped and looked back at her over his shoulder. She halted at once, suddenly shy, and dropped her gaze from his to say, "Your back…is it okay? Maybe you should have gotten that looked at."

He turned without reply and walked back to the room. Rangiku blinked at him, and then scowled. That was rather rude. She hurried into the bedroom after him and said, "Hey, I was talking to you."

In the act of laying back into the bed, on his stomach again, Byakuya paused to say, "I am well. It is nothing to be trouble yourself over."

Rangiku gave him a wide-eyed look, incredulous, and said, "Is that why you've suddenly decided you're more comfortable on your belly? Gosh, men! Stay there, I'll be right back."

She walked past the bed to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. It was, unlike the one she had had back at the 2LDK, always stocked with up-to-date first-aid. Taking out a salve, some cotton and a pair of tweezers—just in case, it was quite possible that he still had splinters in his back—she walked back into the bedroom. Byakuya had his eyes closed, though he opened them when she knelt on the mattress and shuffled over to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Don't worry. I have a son, these are the least terrible injuries I've seen," she replied, intentionally avoiding his gaze as she set down the tweezers and poured some of the liquid salve onto the cotton. "This might sting," she said and then pressed the cotton to the worst of the cuts on his upper left shoulder.

He inhaled sharply but said nothing. She could not resist, she said, "See, that barely hurt at all. If you stay good, I'll give you a lollipop."

He turned his head to glare at her, gaze narrowed, lips turned down slightly and she burst out laughing. "Oh, don't be like that. Or would you like a massage? I learned how to do one at the geisha house…though I suppose you have to be on your back at one point for that one."

He did not reply and she moved on to the next wound. As it turned out she was right, there were still splinters in a few of his cuts but for the most part his expensive suit had spared his skin. Rangiku went over each of the wounds until she was satisfied they were clean and then sat back to examine her handiwork. His injuries were not as bad as they seemed, so some of his pain had to come from elsewhere, like his flesh, which was probably why he had been content to ignore it. Byakuya had turned his head away from her at one point so she had no idea if he had fallen asleep. Still, she had done what she set out to do.

She took up the dirty cotton, the remaining salve and the tweezers. Byakuya had not moved in some time. His breathing was easy, steady, so it looked like that was a "no" to the massage after all. Not that she was planning on giving him one of those "happy ending" ones as he clearly thought, the closet pervert.

She turned to get off the bed, but stopped. He looked deeply asleep. He probably would never notice. She shifted closer, bent over him and pressed a kiss to his spine between his shoulder blades. "Thank you," she whispered over his skin, and then she got off the bed and went back to the bedroom.

He had turned to face her again when she came out of the bathroom after washing her hands and shaking off a hot blush. Seriously, she was a grown woman, an _experienced_ grown woman married to a man who was not in love with her but needed her for business purposes. She really, really needed to get her feelings in check. Still shaking her head at herself, she climbed back into the bed and tried to sleep.

**0o0**

The bedroom was bright, the sun high in the sky when next Rangiku awoke. Byakuya was still facing her, though he had managed to roll onto his side in the night and thrown one hand over the gap between them. It lay dangerously close to her hip. She wondered for a moment if she should move it to avoid any awkwardness when he awoke. She was feeling odd enough, especially when she remembered what she had done the night before. He had never once voiced a complaint about the way she dressed or acted, and thank goodness, because she was of the "got it, flaunt it" crowd and she really did not want to hate him, but he was definitely the conservative type. If he had been awake when she kissed him, she was sure that he would have scolded her.

She rolled onto her back, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Why the hell did she have to be the one to fall first? Sure she had been thinking about falling in love with him, but that was only in the event that circumstances changed and they were stuck with each other somehow. So what was this nonsense her heart trying to pull now? Was she not the one who had insisted that she was not going to sleep with him? And when the hell had she decided that she wanted to?

That was when she heard the voices.

"_Here, Toshiro-kun, have some of this soup. I used to make it all the time for Byakuya-sama when he was little."_ She froze, staring up at the ceiling. That was Tomoe, she was sure of it.

"_Lay back, Toshiro. I'm sure Byakuya-san will not mind. These chairs should be sat on once in a while."_ That was Granny Hitsugaya, sweet-voiced and caustic.

"_Of course Byakuya-sama will not mind. We always change out the furniture for the New Year in all the properties. I wonder what Rangiku-san will pick this time around?"_

"_Yes, everything is so bland. This place is not suited for children at all. Don't you move, Toshiro. You need all the rest you can get."_

"_Drink up, Toshiro-kun. Oh, let me get that for you."_

And the two grandmothers were now fighting over her son. She probably should have seen that coming.

"_Oi, Shiro-chan, can I have your—" _Karin-chan? When did she get here?

"_My name is Toshiro!"_

"_Oi! Don't yell at my sister!"_ Rangiku sat up, that was Kurosaki Ichigo, which made sense as his younger sister was here.

"_No yelling around the patient."_

"…"

"_We're sorry, Hitsugaya-obaasan."_

"_Hitsugaya-obaasan, where is Rangiku-san? Surely, Toshiro-kun would like to have his mother around instead of all of us."_ Rangiku blinked, that was Matsuko.

"_Toshiro-kun is a big boy; he does not need his mother to hold his hand every day, Matsuko. Rangiku-san is tending to her husband."_

Been there, done that, though Tomoe's tone was full of suggestion. Rangiku glanced over at Byakuya again and moved his hand away from hers. She really wanted to get up and close the door, thus shutting out the sounds from the living room below. Had she left it open, or had one of them peeked in earlier?

"_I'm sure that Byakuya-sama would just prefer to sleep."_

"_Of course, what did you think they were doing?"_

"_Oh, ew! Gross, no one wants to hear that."_

"_Oh grow up, Ichigo. It is perfectly natural for married couples to desire some time alone." _Oh good, Rukia was there. Rangiku felt less-inclined to do anything. She lay back down.

"_Yes, after all, babies do not conceive themselves." _Rangiku sat up again at once.

"_Eww!"_

"_Toshiro, I thought you were more mature than that."_

"_I don't care. He better not have his grubby hands on my mother."_

Rangiku grinned at that. Good to see that Toshiro could still be counted on as the voice of reason. At least he had not yet fallen under whatever spell it was that Byakuya had cast over Rangiku.

"…_well since Matsuko's child will be born in the spring, I do hope that Byakuya-sama's son will come in the summer. It is horrible to be pregnant through all that heat."_ Rangiku scoffed at that. Clearly, Tomoe was getting way ahead of everyone. But having been pregnant through a summer, Rangiku was much inclined to agree. It was horrid and the worst part was that the first year she would have had anything to show off in a bikini, she also had a belly to ruin it.

Granny Hitsugaya was speaking._ "Ah, yes, congratulations, Matsuko-san. Have you begun considering names yet?"_

"_We have a few. Kouga and I have been checking the family records. We want to honour my father."_

"_Good luck getting Rangiku to follow that. Toshiro, what do want to name your little brother?"_

"_Nope, I'm not doing this. She's not pregnant. And I don't want a little brother anyway. I have my hands full with Rangiku already."_

"_A little sister then. How does the name 'Midoriko' sound, Toshiro-kun?"_

"_Doesn't he need the baby to be a boy?"_ His question echoed Rangiku's thoughts. What was Tomoe talking about?

"_They are young and healthy. I see no reason for them not to have another. And what spritely old woman does not want a great-granddaughter to play with?"_ Rangiku could not believe her ears.

"_The answer is still no."_

"_What, don't tell me you're jealous already, Shiro-chan?"_

"_It's not 'Shiro-chan', my name is Toshiro!"_

Rangiku decided it was time to go down there and put a stop to this silliness. There would be no children of this union. What on earth were the grandmothers—and Granny Hitsugaya was clearly not innocent in this, asking Toshiro about little brothers of all things—thinking? She slid her feet off the bed and made to stand and then Byakuya asked, "Where…are you going?"

Rangiku froze, though her heart skipped a beat. His voice was hoarse from sleep and she could feel his fingers flex against the sheets. Or at least, she thought she did. She was way too conscious of him.

"O-out, we have visitors," she said after a moment to gather herself.

He exhaled, not quite a sigh but close, and shifted. She turned to find that he had turned his face into her pillow. When had he gotten so close? What was he doing? She took a breath, willing herself to calm down. This was so completely unfair.

"Who's out there?" asked Byakuya.

She clenched a hand into a fist and said, "Your grandmother, Matsuko-san, Ichigo-kun, Rukia-chan, at least one of Ichigo-kun's little sisters, Granny Hitsugaya and Toshiro."

He grunted, clearly displeased, and said, "I'm resting." Then he snuggled back into the pillows and turned his head away. A moment later he turned it back when he realised that the daylight was coming through the drapes unto his face.

Rangiku wanted to laugh. He had to be rather sleepy if he was acting so childish. Instead she lay back on the bed facing him. He kept his eyes closed, though his face did not look relaxed at all. She bit her lip to stop herself from smiling and said, "They're down there making assumptions."

"So?" asked Byakuya.

"They're picking out names," she said.

He stilled for a moment, then relaxed again and said, "I've always been partial to Sakurako myself."

Rangiku nearly stopped breathing, then shook herself and said, "What? No."

Byakuya opened his eyes then and asked, "What's wrong with Sakurako?"

"Just no," said Rangiku, shaking her head. "What if you had a son?"

"I see nothing wrong with Sakurai," said Byakuya.

The seriousness of his tone made Rangiku laugh and when his expression did not change, she stopped and asked, "No, really?"

Byakuya sat up halfway, propping his head on an arm and said, "The cherry blossom is a beautiful, noble plant. It is a national treasure."

"Good god, no," said Rangiku, rolling onto her back. "You should not be allowed to name your children. Those names are so…_old-fashioned_."

"And 'Toshiro' is not?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow at her. She did not reply. He said, "I reserve the right to name my heir."

"Not if you're gonna call the kid 'Sakurai'," said Rangiku.

"I still don't see the problem with the name," said Byakuya. "Or is that you would prefer something that includes 'Kiku'?"

Rangiku could not be blamed for the blush that spread across her face and neck then. She had been speaking in abstract, talking about the family he would have when he eventually got around to his third wife. Clearly, Byakuya had not. Covering her face with her hands, Rangiku said, "There is no 'Kiku' in 'Toshiro'. That's it, I'm out, time to go down and greet the guests before they decided to come in and check to see if we're still alive."

She could feel Byakuya's gaze on her as she got off the bed. It raised the pores on her skin and sent a thrill low in her belly, which she suppressed with extreme prejudice. Snatching up a robe from a nearby chair, she shrugged it on and went out.

Toshiro saw her first. "Isn't that Byakuya-san's?" he asked, gaze narrowed at her.

Rangiku looked down at the dark grey silk robe she had put on and then grinned up at her son. "So it is. Oops. Don't think he would mind though. Hello, everyone. When did you all get here? What time is it?"

Tomoe was smiling at her, Matsuko was not. Granny Hitsugaya's attention was solely on Toshiro. The Kurosaki siblings, used to her from her past visits to their father's clinic, barely glanced in her direction though Yuzu said, "Good morning, Kuchiki-san." Rangiku nodded at her in return.

Rukia was beaming and practically hopped over to greet her at the bottom of the stairs to ask, "How is Nii-sama?"

"Fine," said the man himself behind Rangiku.

Rangiku blushed again, hating herself, remembering all at once how he remained with her for hours when he should have been resting. She turned before anyone else noticed the new colour of her complexion, she hoped, and said, "Hey, now, husband, you were in the same accident as Toshiro so back to bed with you, and don't you dare even think about going to work."

He lifted an eyebrow at her, surprised, and then lowered it and asked, "Okay, wife, and what incentive are you offering in exchange?"

Her blush deepened, spreading down her neck and arms. Stupid man, did he not realise that she was giving him an out? He could have taken it and gone back to bed. Instead, he stood there watching her blush, though he did not comment on it as he said, "I was not going anyway. I think we have all earned the day off." He continued down the steps past her, Rangiku turned to watch him go, and he said, "Good morning, Grandmother. Ah, Kurosaki Ichigo, you're here again."

"Hey, I had to bring my sisters and _yours_ for some reason," said the young man, scowling. "This is the thanks I get for showing some _concern_ for your wellbeing."

Rukia swatted Ichigo's arm and turned to her brother. "Nii-sama, I thought you might be hungry so I brought curry."

"Thank you, Rukia, but there was no need," said Byakuya. Then he glanced at Rangiku and said, "My wife will be taking care of me today."

"Hey!" protested Toshiro from the sofa.

"Hush!" said Granny Hitsugaya and Tomoe at the same time.

Byakuya ignored them, still looking at Rangiku. Rangiku just stared back at him. What the hell was going on? Was he _flirting _with her? Had he hit his head? She lifted an eyebrow and said, "Didn't you hear, I'm a horrible cook. You should be happy for that curry." Then, before he could reply and further confuse her, she moved on to the kitchen to seek out Matsura.

Byakuya followed her, of course, and asked, "What are we having for breakfast?"

She was tempted to ask him out loud what kind of game he thought he was playing, but then she remembered that they had an audience. And then it clicked. They were supposed to be a happily married couple, somewhat, though the only person they had to pretend as much for was Matsuko. And then Rangiku hated him for it, and how easily he had slipped into it. This was going to hurt.

She turned to him with a flirty smile and asked, "What do you want, brave soul?"

"Surprise me," said Byakuya, amusement in his gaze. It made Rangiku's insides all fluttery and her heart clench painfully.

"Hey, what's going on in there? That's where food is prepared you two," called Tomoe.

Byakuya sighed and Rangiku giggled. Then Toshiro sauntered into the kitchen with his phone, hopped onto the stool at the centre island and said, "I'm hungry too. Don't make anything weird."

Tomoe was next in the kitchen, saying, "It is good to see you up and about, Byakuya-sama. The evening news made it out that you were near death. Your uncle and Fujiwara-san must have their hands full with the shareholders and reporters. I had no delusions about your fate, but poor Toshiro-kun. I am so sorry that you had to experience that. These brutes need to be dealt with far more severely."

Rangiku glanced at her son but Toshiro was too busy playing with his phone while Tomoe gently smoothed his hair. Ah, wonderful. Now her son had _two_ doting grandmothers. If she thought he was a spoiled brat before….

Speak of the devil, Granny Hitsugaya was next in and went straight to the stove and snatched the frying pan out of Rangiku's hands. Then she pushed both Byakuya and Rangiku to the stools and said, "Let me get that. Don't say silly things, Byakuya-san. Rangiku only ever ate normal food when she was pregnant with Toshiro, and goodness knows that was because he sensed the danger coming if he allowed her to continue."

"I have a sixth sense," said Toshiro.

Rangiku scowled at him but Granny Hitsugaya smiled and said, "I shall make you a proper breakfast. You need it after yesterday." Then she stopped, took a breath, bowed at the waist and said, "Thank you, Byakuya-san, for saving my grandson. I don't think either Rangiku or I would have survived it."

Rangiku slipped off the stool to join Granny Hitsugaya, but Byakuya held her arm fast, intertwining their fingers and said, "There is no need to thank me. Rangiku and Toshiro are my family now. I swore that I would protect them and I will."

The others had arrived in the kitchen then, and at his words, Rukia had taken Rangiku's free hand and smiled at her. Rangiku felt her head swim. This was too much. Granny Hitsugaya straightened and said, "Be that as it may, this is beyond the usual scope of a husband's requirements in a marriage. And Rangiku can usually take care of herself. I was always meant to leave first; it is good to know that you will be there to watch over them."

"Hey!" protested Rangiku and Toshiro together, though perhaps for different reasons. Had the old woman forgotten the deal? Was _everyone_ just ignoring that this was not supposed to be a real marriage?

No one else seemed bothered, and Byakuya even stood up to return Granny Hitsugaya's bow.

And then Ichigo said, "Great, sure, let's encourage his overprotective behaviour."

**0o0**

Byakuya was not thinking about the kiss. Rangiku had been hysterical over Toshiro and in the aftermath, very grateful for Byakuya's actions. She thought she needed to thank him. There was no more meaning to it. And yet, Byakuya wondered.

Cleaning his wounds, minor though they were, and spreading the salve over them had been quite enough gratitude. There was no need to add the kiss. Rangiku could have just said the words if she thought it absolutely necessary. But being the woman that she was, she just could not leave it at that. Byakuya had thought before that Rangiku's careless affection was only an act but apparently some of it was real. Still, she did not have to kiss him. Why did she do that?

Rangiku sat in the living room with Matsuko, Tomoe, Granny Hitsugaya, Rukia, Ichigo's sisters, and the newly-arrived Nanao in low conversation. No doubt the topic was Matsuko's pregnancy, and judging by the expression on his aunt's face, it was somewhat amiable. But of course, no one could really dislike Rangiku for too long. She really was a lovely person. This was the kind of woman who, if Byakuya really set about it, if his grief would let him, he could grow to love deeply.

"You know, Byakuya-kun, if you break her heart I won't forgive you. I just might be inclined to fight you for her honour," said Kyouraku.

Byakuya looked away from the women to the older man sitting across from him in his office. Byakuya had left the door open as a courtesy; Rangiku had been seeking him and Toshiro out with her gaze all day. He did not think she was truly aware of it.

"That will not happen," said Byakuya.

Toshiro glanced at him only briefly before going back to his game. Byakuya wondered why the boy had decided to join them at first, and then Kyouraku had slipped the boy a bag of _amanatto_. He had then plopped down onto the sofa with Kyouraku while Ichigo, the fourth and therefore unwelcome person in the room, took up position at the window with his back turned. Why_ he_ was there was anyone's guess. Probably afraid of whatever the women were discussing. How had his sister fallen for this immature man-child?

Kyoraku chuckled and said, "It does not look likely, not anymore. Ran-chan can wear down even the hardest man. The Snake was one of the worst men we ever put away, I've never seen a more cold-blooded killer, and yet he could not have signed off on that confession fast enough if it meant keeping her safe."

All eyes turned to the older man, though Byakuya did look out to the living room and Rangiku again before turning back to Kyouraku. Kyouraku winked at him as their gazes met and said, "Oh yes, I know, I know. But I was there. I heard his confession. He smiled through everything until we asked about Ran-chan. We were not allowed to mention her name. 'Don't even think about her.' A day after your wedding he disembowelled another man for making an off-colour remark."

Byakuya clenched his jaw, imagining Gin gutting Kouga for calling Rangiku a whore. It was not that hard. Byakuya had met the Snake too and even behind the relative safety of the bullet-proof glass separating them, he could have felt the malice radiating off of the silver-haired killer in waves. He said, "I am aware of their relationship. I have spoken to him."

Kyouraku's smile widened as Toshiro frowned. Ichigo walked away from the window but remained behind the couch. Kyouraku settled back in the couch, aware that he had all of their attention, and said, "I suspect that Aizen has a put a price on your head now. The group that attacked you had to have known what your vehicle looks like. You may want to do something about that."

Byakuya nodded and Kyouraku continued, "Aizen may be the only man I know to have resisted Ran-chan's charms. But he is a complete monster…which is not to say that he does not have an obsession with her." Kyouraku shifted his gaze to Toshiro, then back to Byakuya. "He will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Ichimaru-san was Aizen's protégé, and for years the Snake was his best lieutenant, but Ichimaru-san threw it all away for Ran-chan. As far as Aizen is concerned then, Ran-chan is responsible. He will take from her that which he lost in Ichimaru-san."

"I'm not going to help him," said Toshiro. "I would _never_ help that man."

They all turned to look at him. He met their gazes, his own fierce. "He will pay for what he did to my mother. He got away the first time but that's not going to happen again."

"It won't," said Kyouraku, nodding. He looked back at Byakuya and said, "He will not touch her, not physically, but he likes mind games. Right now, all of this, yes he's going after Ichimaru-san and Toshiro-kun and now you too, Byakuya-kun, but some of this is directed at her too. He wants her to remember that he can still hurt her without touching her himself."

Byakuya glanced at Rangiku again. She was laughing at something and did not notice him. Nanao and Rukia had though, for they were staring at him, Nanao with a raised eyebrow and Rukia with a slightly furrowed brow and a worrying look in her wide eyes.

"Rangiku is strong. She won't let Aizen Sosuke get to her," said Toshiro.

"Yes, well, I hardly think she is unaffected with the way she has been looking at you two," said Kyouraku. Byakuya turned to the man to find him looking mournfully at the glass in his hand. Nanao had restricted him to one drink so he had been sipping the whiskey very slowly since he arrived. He lifted his gaze to Byakuya's and smirked. "Or is there another reason? Jushiro and I have a bet running on how long until we hear some happy news."

Byakuya looked out the door down to the living room at Rangiku and said, "We will have a child when we're ready. There is no hurry now. We only just got married."

"I forget that you are a romantic," said Kyouraku, drawing Byakuya's gaze back to him. "But your family is not."

"That is the least of my concerns," said Byakuya.

Kyouraku laughed and said, "At this rate, Rukia-chan will have a child before you do. How about it, Ichi-kun? A son to inherit the clan?"

Byakuya looked up at the young man, to find him red-faced and glaring at Kyouraku. Kyouraku laughed harder and said, "Well as long as it happens before the year is out, Byakuya-kun. I do want to win one over Jushiro…for once."


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Hoo boy! *blushes* In my defence, I've always considered Byakuya a very passionate man who conceals it very well…except when he does not want to. Besides, have you seen Rangiku?**_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.**_

**Juu-ichi**

How had Byakuya not noticed Rangiku's very long legs before? The powder blue Grecian-style evening gown she wore had a plunging neckline, high slit on the left side and a glittery Swarovski crystal belt. She had accessorised with a pair of silver, strappy heels, a thick white gold and diamond necklace in the form of a snake and small diamond earrings. Her hair was a mass of curls swept to one side of her head, her makeup soft though she insisted, again, on bold red lips, and she smelled as if she had been bathing in Arabian perfumed oils for days. The driver had had to give himself a quick shake when she stepped out of the elevator and then sent up the partition before starting the car. At least he could concentrate; all Byakuya had been thinking about since she first descended the staircase to join him was how it would feel to have those legs wrapped around his waist, heels and all.

There was nothing wrong with sleeping his wife, Tomoe had said. Rangiku was beautiful and she knew it. His wife's confidence accentuated her sexuality even better than her outfits did. If she asked him to, Byakuya was very sure that he would be only mildly troubled in taking her right there and then, driver, waiting photographers and his uncle's "welcoming party" be damned. But Rangiku would never ask so Byakuya distracted himself by thinking about the ordeal to come.

The reporters and the questions and the lingering gazes were expected. This was Byakuya's first public appearance since the attack, though Rangiku had gone out to work the day after grumbling about invalid husbands and needy children. She had been swamped at the entrance to the headquarters and again as she returned to Seireitei. Byakuya had experienced a moment of panic when he realised that they now knew what her car looked like, but it settled once she was safely in the house. Then he vowed that he would get a new car, it was about time anyway. No way was the wife of Kuchiki Byakuya going to drive some crappy old Toyota.

But that was not Byakuya's only concern for the evening.

Sawako would be there, as future acting head of the company it was expected, as well as Matsuko and Kouga. Kouga's campaign was as yet in the early stages, so there was no harm in his being there and especially since some of the guests would be potential financiers. Sawako, on the other hand, hated Byakuya so no doubt she would hate Rangiku too.

Matsuko, through Kouga, had already declared her position. It was unlikely that she would snub Rangiku at the party, at the end of the day, like her or not, his wife was technically a Kuchiki and Kuchiki stuck together. But there were other ways to declare allegiances and Matsuko was well-versed in the art. If things went the way he thought they would, the gossip rags would have material for months.

Rangiku shifted, exposing more leg and Byakuya felt a twitch.

Toshiro had noticed Byakuya staring but instead of the usual scowl, the insolent brat had _smirked_ at him. Well, at least he had until Rangiku pulled her son into her arms, showering him with kisses, crying long, fake tears about missing him, and hoping that he would be good for "poor, dear Granny", and then squeezed him to her breasts, until the boy shook her off, enraged, and declared her the "worst" and "Oedipal". Byakuya had been impressed by the last one, clearly the boy was widely-read, but he could not help feeling a little envious. Though Rangiku had cheerfully snapped a picture of him in his tuxedo "for Facebook and Nanao-chan", she had not otherwise reacted. It was kind of disappointing.

The drive to the hotel that the party was being held at was far too long for Byakuya's liking. Rangiku spent much of that time, chatting with, according to her, Nanao and commenting on how many "likes" Byakuya's picture had gotten. The last count before the car stopped and she had to put her phone away was five thousand. Byakuya was more concerned with the fact that she had chosen a jewelled snake necklace, a viper of all things, which rested its head far too close to the generous curve of her right breast for his liking. Though a number of the upper level managers were married, and some to young, beautiful trophy wives, none were as beautiful as Rangiku.

There was no official red carpet to welcome their arrival at the hotel, but the paparazzi ringed the carpeted foyer anyway. There were a few flashes when Byakuya stepped out, which he ignored, but they grew blinding when he helped Rangiku out after. She froze, momentarily stunned, and he had to tug her hand gently to get her moving again.

"_Kuchiki-san! Kuchiki-san, can you look over here please?"_

"_Kuchiki-san, this way, this way!"_

"_Can I get a smile, Kuchiki-san?"_

None of them were talking to him. Rangiku obliged them but tightened her grip on Byakuya's arm until they were through the door. And once the glass doors had closed behind them, she whispered, "Now I know why you people wear sunglasses all the time. What if I had a medical condition?"

Byakuya chuckled at her.

The party was being held on the second floor ballroom, up a grand staircase in the middle of the lobby. The looks, whispers and flashes followed them all the way. All told, Byakuya thought he had done remarkably well keeping his irritation in check. When the usher blushed at Rangiku's smile, Byakuya merely swept past him with his head straight and did not stomp on the boy's foot like he wanted to. He could still have him dismissed, but that would be childish and Rangiku was certainly not the first or only woman the boy would gape at that night.

A few heads turned as they entered, and then the party that was already in full swing came to an abrupt halt. Rangiku stilled for a moment, and then looked over at Byakuya, a blush painting her cheeks pink. Was she trying to be cute or had she really become shy in all the attention?

Then the applause started. It spread quickly through the room, accompanied by whistles and hoots and Byakuya pulled his wife closer before nodding acknowledgement to the room. Rangiku, in a soft voice uncharacteristic of her, whispered to him, "You're their new hero."

"For the time being," Byakuya whispered back, then raising his hand to quell the applause, said louder, "Friends all, thank you. But please, I just came here for the party."

There was some light laughter and then the music started again. Rangiku stepped away from Byakuya's hold, looked left, then right and said, "I see the bar."

Byakuya pulled back when she tried to step away and said, "We have to greet the hosts first. Come on, I think I see them."

The ballroom took up two floors, its ceiling covered in drapes and helium-filled balloons and strands of gold glitter suspended from the ceiling. Kouga, Matsuko and Sawako stood beside the snack buffet with a few of the other board members and their wives. They all turned as Byakuya approached and so he saw the exact moment that Sawako's gaze fell on Rangiku. Sawako did not say anything, but she stiffened, sucking in a breath and lifted her nose a little higher into the air.

Sawako wore a long, form-fitting black and gold lace Alexander McQueen gown, with cap sleeves and a high neck but open back, gold Christian Louboutin heels and emerald jewellery. Byakuya knew this because he had bought the entire ensemble for her back when he had been trying to make something of their arrangement. That she had decided to wear it on the night she was to meet his wife for the first time was not a good sign.

"Ah, Byakuya-sama, Rangiku-san," greeted Matsuko, smiling. She stepped forward to give air kisses Rangiku's cheeks, though Byakuya did touch his lips to his aunt's powdered cheek.

"Matsuko-san," returned Rangiku, smiling just as cheerily. "Oh, you're glowing! Isn't she, Byakuya?"

His aunt wore a wine-red, halter bandage dress, straps hanging off her shoulders, and a low back. The form-fitting style made her pregnancy obvious, which suggested to Byakuya that it was not as much as a surprise to his uncle as he had made it appear. To his wife's question, Byakuya merely grunted and shifted his gaze to Sawako.

Sawako had stepped forward after Matsuko and when his aunt stepped back, introduced herself to Rangiku. "Fujiwara Sawako, Byakuya-sama's former fiancée and new boss. Nice to meet you."

Rangiku's eyes widened only fractionally before she took the hand extended to her, gave it a firm shake and said, "Oh, I've heard…absolutely nothing about you. Byakuya is such a brat." She threw a mock-glare at him over her shoulder and continued, "I think he must be worried that I would be jealous or something. Silly man. Come on, tell me everything. So you're acting head of the Kuchiki Corporation now? That is quite an accomplishment for someone as young as you look."

Byakuya could not be sure, but it sounded as if his wife had just acknowledged and dismissed Sawako as a threat, as well made a jab at the woman's age, all in the space of a few sentences. But that was absurd, because Rangiku was smiling at Sawako as if the two were going to be great friends.

Sawako, who was cautiously smiling back at Rangiku and answering with short answers when she could, did not appear to have noticed, but Matsuko had and she was not pleased. To distract her, Byakuya stepped forward and said, "You look lovely tonight, Aunt."

She blinked, then glanced at him and said, "Oh, thank you, Byakuya-sama." Her gaze drifted back to Rangiku and she said, "And your wife is…eye-catching. Is that a snake?"

Byakuya looked over at Rangiku and Sawako, still conversing, and drawing the attention of those expecting a confrontation, and said, "Yes…she has an interesting taste in jewellery."

Rangiku was describing something with her hands, and Byakuya saw Sawako's gaze catch on the ring finger of his wife's left hand. She sucked in another breath. Byakuya looked away before she could turn to him. It was not his fault that Sawako's ring was not so flashy. It was Matsuko's idea, as were most things in that ill-fated relationship, that he would give her a simple, understated ring. And besides, all twenty-eight carats on Rangiku's rings were not in the engagement band. That one was only fourteen, with a ten carat main diamond. The other fourteen was on her much simpler wedding band.

He turned back to Matsuko to find her lips pursed, and when she noticed his gaze, she said, "That one is going to cause you all kinds of trouble."

Byakuya held her gaze as he replied, "Yes." And then he smiled.

Eventually, Byakuya managed to separate Sawako and Rangiku long enough to introduce his wife to the other board members, then the upper level managers and their wives. Rangiku greeted each person with the same unreserved delight, complimenting those who greeted Byakuya with a warm smile and those who did not alike. By the time they were finished, Rangiku had even secured dinner party invitations, shopping trips and a tour of their garage of antique cars for them and Toshiro. She had also apparently identified those who were "Team Kouga" and "Team Byakuya"—her words—and promised, with a conspiratorial wink, to work on them until they "saw reason". Byakuya had chuckled at that, and then Rangiku announced that she was going to the bar before she died, and left him.

Byakuya watched her go with a smile on his face, one that he did not notice until Sawako said, "My goodness, don't let anyone see that look on your face or you'll lose the fear of your subordinates."

He turned to her. She had a glass of champagne in one hand and a slight scowl on her face, staring after Rangiku. He said, "I am allowed to look at my wife in any way that I please."

Sawako lifted her gaze to his face and said, "I've never heard anyone say that you looked at me like that."

He said nothing, refusing to take the bait. Her scowl deepened and she said, "Or is it that you like girls who flash a lot of skin now? What happened to you, Byakuya? Having an early midlife crisis? What next? A piercing? A sports car?"

He lifted an eyebrow at her. Her face flushed red but her voice was calm as she said, "That snake around her neck…was that not her old boyfriend's nickname?"

Byakuya had completely forgotten that, not that he could be blamed but that was a shocking oversight. He refrained from glancing at Rangiku and giving Sawako a small victory, and said, "So you have researched her."

She clamped her mouth shut. Byakuya did not smile at her. He gave her a slight bow and turned to seek out Renji.

**0o0**

If some of Rangiku's fellow detectives could have had access to this bar, the alcohol would have lasted exactly one hour. As it was, mindful of the fact that she did not want to embarrass Byakuya or give Matsuko and Sawako ammunition, especially after the welcome they had received, Rangiku limited herself to three cocktails, two glasses of champagne and one round of shots in between trips to the snack bar. Byakuya did not seem to care if she mingled with the others or not and she decided that she did not want to either. After the third foreign-schooled businessman's _ningyo_ wife implied that Rangiku, rather than she who had married a much older man for his money—for it surely was not his looks—was some kind of streetwalker, Rangiku decided it was better to drink. She really liked this dress after all.

And from the looks that Byakuya had been giving her for most of the night, he really liked it too.

Rangiku was not blind. She had been aware of men's gazes since she started filling out properly at fifteen. Once her underdeveloped body got over the trauma of pushing out a five pound, three ounce baby boy, and then breastfeeding him for nearly two years, it had settled on something that people noticed and a lot of men liked. Byakuya was very good at hiding his interest in practically everything, but there was no hiding his sudden interest in her legs or chest. It was fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

To put it simply, when Rangiku had first agreed to this idea, she had always known that at some point one or the other of them would notice that hey, this person does not look half-bad and maybe, if the other were willing, they could have a little fun. She was already there; she was not going to lie to herself. But with that also came the understanding that in the interest of each others' sanity, they were not going to act on it. In Byakuya's defence, he had not said a word or made a move out of order. It was just that as the night progressed, it looked like he wanted to and goodness knew that Rangiku was going to have trouble stopping herself from letting him.

Think of the devil, as Rangiku set down her shot glass and turned away from the bar, swearing to herself that she would not have a third round, Byakuya came up to her and asked, "Kuchiki-san, would you do me the honour of taking this next dance with me?"

Rangiku lifted an eyebrow at him, but took the arm he offered and let him lead her out onto the dance floor.

They were playing something slow and boring and as Byakuya began to lead her around the room, Rangiku told him so. He chuckled and she caught the hint of whiskey on his breath. Still, his voice was steady as he said, "Look around. We're practically the youngest people in this room, not counting Matsuko's baby."

Rangiku did look around and whispered, "I knew Sawako was older than you."

Byakuya nodded and said, "Thirty-three. Though her age is not the reason I did not marry her. I broke off the engagement because she and Matsuko tried to push me into it after three months of half-hearted dating. Or maybe I was the only one who was being half-hearted. Hisana had just died a year earlier anyway."

Rangiku's eyes widened but only briefly, and she asked, "She seems more upset than one would expect for such a short relationship."

Byakuya grunted and slid his hand down her back before replying, "We knew each other in Toudai. She had spent a few summers near the estate when I was in high school. She's the daughter of a friend of Matsuko's who was originally meant to marry Matsuko's baby. When that did not work out, my dear aunt turned her over to me."

"That's rather bold of her," said Rangiku, trying to catch a glimpse of the woman. She was very aware of Byakuya's bare palm on the exposed skin of her back but she was determined to ignore it.

"Not really," said Byakuya. "That's generally the way marriages are arranged among families like mine…and even some that aren't. My parents were both dead, so I was technically my aunt's responsibility. But then I married Hisana instead and, well, here we are."

The music seemed to have slowed right down, and at some point, Byakuya had drawn Rangiku even closer. They did not look any different from many of the couples slowly swaying in circles around them, and still Rangiku was hyperaware of others' gazes. Those who were not looking for signs of rift between the Kuchiki, were probably looking for any hint that Byakuya and Rangiku's marriage was a sham. Or not, but she could not help thinking it anyway.

Rangiku wanted to talk about something else. Out of curiosity, she asked, "So, since us cops don't usually have parties this grand, should I expect to stock my wardrobe with more dresses like this?"

Byakuya took the bait, twirling her away from him so that he could get a better look. She went eagerly, laughing, and when he drew her back in, he let his hands rest on the small of her back. She settled hers around his neck and he said, "Yes."

Rangiku's heartbeat sped up a little but she willed it to slow. He was tipsy and playing along. She said, "Good, because you're paying. This thing is worth two months' pay and I have a kid and bills."

He snorted and she blushed and turned her head away. Matsuko and Kouga were sitting together in the corner. He had one hand on her stomach and the other to his lips. Matsuko was looking at him as if he was whispering the secrets of the universe to her. Rangiku looked away from them and asked, "How long have your aunt and uncle been married?"

Byakuya was silent for a moment, apparently thinking, and then said, "Thirty-two years."

Rangiku's eyes widened. She said, "That's longer than you've been alive! She must be in her _fifties_, and she's having a baby?"

Byakuya nodded and replied, "They both want the child, regardless of the risks. Boy or girl, it will be loved. But a boy would be better, for obvious reasons."

"Gah," said Rangiku, scoffing. "I'd like to point out that Sawako over there is a girl and she's going to be running a multi-national company."

"Yes," Byakuya conceded, nodding again. "But given that most of our board members are actually 'old boys', it is more likely that they will refer any decision she makes to me. And I also happen to be the next-in-line, so it is not too early to start currying favours. Don't give me that look, the higher you climb in society, the more sexist it becomes. You're a female police officer; you know that better than anyone."

"Yes, but doesn't that mean you've technically won?" asked Rangiku.

"Not really," said Byakuya. "Even if my uncle somehow wins, he will still have his hands in the corporation because the board members will discuss decisions with him when they have the time. Sawako is certainly going to consult him. And that's another reason to stop him. If his less-than-scrupulous associates don't destroy us, ordinary corruption will. I have to completely oust him from the company to win."

Rangiku looked around for the woman, found Sawako talking to one of the board members, and asked, "Her too?"

Byakuya exhaled and said, "Yes, her too. I know she's a hard worker and I will be sorry to see her go, but Sawako will not work under me."

"No," said Rangiku, thinking about the way the woman had turned her nose up at her. "She looks like the type that prefers to be on top."

Byakuya's fingers twitched against her back a moment before he asked, "And what do you prefer?"

She stopped moving and looked up at him, waiting for him to continue so that she could confirm she had just imagined her usually stoic husband making an innuendo. Instead, he just stared back. He might have just asked her what her favourite colour was. She ducked her gaze away and started swaying again before replying, with much affectation, "My word, Kuchiki-san, what are you saying? I'm a sweet, traditional girl who would never dream of usurping my husband's authority in the bedroom. No, I lie back and hope that he takes his pleasure quickly so I can get back to the cooking and cleaning."

He laughed and she stopped to watch him do it. Byakuya smiling was a rare thing, but Byakuya outright laughing was like stumbling upon some great lost thing treasure hunters usually cut through jungles and hapless crooks to find. When he stopped he said, "Yes, you certainly do _lie_, because you don't lie still in your sleep. I could have sworn a king-sized bed would give at least four people enough room and yet someone keeps kicking me in the night."

She gave him a mock glare and said, "I'm a big girl, I can't help it. You should probably buy a bigger bed."

"Yes," he said, his gaze drifting to her mouth. "Or you could do something else with those legs."

As he leaned in to kiss her, Rangiku thought that maybe she should stop him. He had to be intoxicated, she could smell the alcohol on his breath and he was making innuendos. But then, hell, so was she. If he had an issue with it later, she would blame it on the alcohol and feign innocence.

The first time he had kissed her, he had been intentionally aggressive, or so she thought, because they were being watched and he had to make it look like he was about to devour her. They were probably being watched now too, but with all the alcohol flowing, Rangiku doubted anyone really cared. He could be as gentle as he liked, brushing his lips against hers for just a moment before pressing firmer and then pulling her closer to deepen it between one moment and the next. He sucked her lower lip between his teeth and swept his tongue along it before slanting his mouth over to claim her tongue. He tasted of alcohol too, and something spicy that might have been the shrimp. Rangiku felt her knees weaken, even as she felt a familiar heat pooling low in her belly. She tightened her arms around his neck.

And then someone bumped into them, breaking the kiss.

"Oh! Sorry!"

"It's nothing," said Byakuya, without looking over at them. He still had his arms around Rangiku's waist, though she had lowered hers to his arms. As she watched him he licked some of her lipstick off his lips.

"Oh, Kuchiki-sama!" said the person, and this time Byakuya looked away from Rangiku to talk to them. It was one of the minor managers, and Sawako.

Sawako had her lips pursed again and as Rangiku turned to her, said, "This is hardly the place, is it not, Byakuya?"

He glanced at her, then back at Rangiku and took Rangiku's hand. "Indeed," he said. "We have had a wonderful time, but we shall be taking our leave now."

The manager blushed, but Sawako merely nodded, turned to Rangiku and said, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Kuchiki-san."

"Yes," said Rangiku, with cheer she did not feel, her heart was still racing and her thoughts all over the place. She should not have kissed him again. "We'll do dinner sometime."

Sawako nodded again. Byakuya took Rangiku by the arm and turned and started walking for the door. She did not try to pull away from him, and he did not try to draw her closer. She asked as they went, "Your aunt and uncle, shouldn't we tell them we're leaving?"

"No," said Byakuya at once. "It's better this way. Everyone will think we ran off to finish what we started in there."

Rangiku wanted to ask him if that was what they were really doing but did not. He did not say anything either, and held her hand all the way out of the room. He stopped at the top of the stairs though, to call for the car and Rangiku stepped away from him to look down at the foyer. There were still quite a number of people below.

Her hands had started shaking. She did not even notice until she reached for the balustrade and squeezed. Walking out of the ballroom had the effect of dousing her in ice water and all that was left was a sudden, irrational fear. She started when Byakuya said, "Come. The car is ready."

There were only one or two flashes as they descended the stairs and walked out of the hotel to their waiting car, and Rangiku wondered what the headline the next day was going to be. What if someone in there had captured that moment in the ballroom?

Byakuya did not touch her once they were in the car though and on their way back to Seireitei Tower. Instead he spread his arms over the back of the seat and lay his head back. Rangiku tried not to press herself into the door. She was being ridiculous. He was her husband, of course anyone would think that they had left early to go to bed. And she had known that he was slightly drunk when she let him kiss her, so if he expected anything further it was her fault. She had to make it clear to him though, that she did not want that. She did, a lot, but the thought had her cold.

She turned to tell him just that and found his head bent forward, leaning on the door. He had fallen asleep.

**0o0**

Two hours of pretend sleeping later, Byakuya had had enough and was just about to get out of bed when his phone buzzed on the night table. He picked it up just a moment before the message blanked off: _Keep it warm…_

He blinked and opened the phone to check the message again. Then his blood ran cold. There was an image attached of him and Rangiku kissing at the party captioned _"Keep it warm for me. The Snake."_ And at the bottom was a doodle of a snake hissing at him.

He stared at the image until the phone went to dark, and then he turned and looked down at Rangiku sleeping beside him. She was genuinely asleep, mouth open slightly, features relaxed, knees pressed to his side. She had also worn her longest pyjamas, a cheap flannel set she had brought along from her apartment that would have been ugly when they were new. Surely she had not purchased that herself?

It was also a little amusing that she thought that it would be a deterrent to his libido or hers. After all, she had not exactly pushed him away. But he had seen her shaking hands.

Byakuya sat up, looking back at the phone again. He had no idea how Ichimaru Gin had gotten access to a phone number, though he was surprised that he had not been informed that the man was awake. He did not care either.

He took up the phone and got off the bed. Rangiku rolled away from him but did not awaken. Byakuya waited a minute to be sure that she was asleep and then turned and walked out of the room. He went down to the living room and stood for a moment before the window.

The blinds had been drawn but the city lights filtered through in muted colours. Byakuya had bought this apartment after Hisana and the debacle with Sawako, not to escape bad memories but to be closer to Rukia and her new school. Most of the bad memories were locked away in a mansion in another, wealthier and quieter part of Tokyo that Rangiku would never like. Besides, taking her and Toshiro there would be the equivalent of running away and there was no way Byakuya was going to do that. No, if it was a fight that Ichimaru Gin and Aizen Sosuke wanted, it was a fight they were going to get.

His phone buzzed again, and when he opened it this time, the message was from one of his assistants, informing him of a hack. They were too late. Gin had already gotten through to them.

Byakuya looked away from the phone to Hisana's shuttered shrine. If Hisana was here she might have an idea on what to do. But if Hisana was here he would not have this dilemma. He would have never met Rangiku and her son. He certainly would have turned around and walked out of the brothel the moment he recognised it for what it was.

He walked over to the shrine but did not open the doors. Before he married Rangiku, Byakuya had regularly consulted Hisana's spirit for guidance. And yes, sometimes it did feel as if she was merely echoing his thoughts, setting him firmly on a course of action he had already decided upon. Other times he just needed her to listen, and would spend hours pouring out the secrets of his soul as he had never quite done while she still lived. But to consult her now…

He did not regret kissing Rangiku. If anything, he regretted the location and audience. The sight of her shaking hands was worrying, yes, but nothing that could not be handled with time. She probably thought too, that he had done it because of their audience.

He turned around and walked back up to the bedroom. Rangiku turned to face him almost as soon as he lay down, though she did not wake. Byakuya listened to her breathing for a moment and said, "Ichimaru Gin is awake. He sent me a message. I think he wants to see you. I will never let him. Things…have changed."

He sought out her hand in the dark and traced the length of a finger before saying, "I think I want to keep you. Will you run away if I try?"


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: Long chapter ahead, but then a lot happens. **_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.**_

**Juu-ni**

"What's going on, Rangiku?" asked Toshiro as he climbed into the car.

It was mid-morning; they had only just parted three hours earlier and by rights Rangiku should be at work. She smiled at him and said, "We're playing hooky today."

Toshiro was not reassured. He removed his backpack and dropped it at his feet. "Does Byakuya-san know that?" he asked.

Rangiku took a breath, exhaled. "No," she admitted. "And if I told him he would stop us." Then she started the car, checked her mirrors and slowly pulled out into traffic.

"Are we running away?" asked Toshiro, after a few minutes silence. The school had surely called Byakuya already to let him know that his wife had inexplicably arrived to collect her son before call. Funny that, Toshiro had gotten into the prestigious boys' high school on a scholarship earlier that year and somehow_ Byakuya_ superseded her authority. Not to mention that the tracking device on Haineko would be relaying her location even now. There would be no running away from Kuchiki Byakuya, at least, not easily.

Not that she was running of course, because that was absurd. It was just a drunken kiss.

"No," she replied, checking her rear-view mirror. There were two Lexus SUVs trying to blend into the traffic behind them, one white, and the other black. That they had not yet stopped her suggested they were content to follow quietly for the time being. They could be Aizen's goons, but she doubted it.

"So where are we going?" asked Toshiro. He had settled into his seat and pulled out his phone. He did not look particularly interested in the answer. Rangiku suspected that if she really did try to run, her son would go along with her without question.

"You'll see," she said.

There was light traffic in the streets, most of Tokyo was already at work or school and those who were not either had errands or were tourists, so not in a hurry. Rangiku followed the shortest route out of the main part of the city, to the outskirts where the suburbs gave way to long stretches of nothing and one set of buildings in particular.

Toshiro would not know this place but the chase cars did. And when they recognised them, they simply overtook her and stopped across the lanes, blocking her path. Rangiku slammed on the brakes, she had no choice, and so did the other drivers behind her, some of who were probably on their way to visit relatives or work. But the Kuchiki guards had their orders.

"Where are we?" asked Toshiro, hand still braced on the dashboard. He had dropped his phone when she stopped, but Rangiku's lay in the centre console. It started ringing.

"Well, we were on our way to see Gin," said Rangiku, sitting back to glare at the men in their dark suits and sunglasses staring back at her. They wore no visible weapons and she suspected that they would not draw them, but they were definitely not going to let her pass. Rangiku was not surprised. She had only learned that Gin was awake because that annoying Apacci had announced it to the office when Rangiku walked in. That her dear husband had failed to inform her of it spoke volumes.

"What?" Toshiro sputtered, snapping his gaze to her. Her phone stopped ringing, and Toshiro's started up.

He bent to retrieve it and Rangiku nodded at the men ahead of them and replied, "And Byakuya won't let us."

Some of the drivers behind them had begun to honk their horns, though no one was willing to get out of their cars. They were too close to a prison of very violent individuals.

One of the dark-suited men, separated from the others with a phone at his ear. He walked over to Rangiku's car and tapped on the glass with a gloved hand. Rangiku obliged him by rolling down the window and he said, "Kuchiki-sama would like you to answer the phone."

Rangiku took a deep breath, then took Toshiro's still ringing cell from his hands and answered it with her cheeriest tone, "Moshi moshi, Byakuya-sama. How's work this morning?"

He ignored her pleasantries. _"Where are you taking Toshiro?"_

She glanced at her son and replied, "Oh, to see a relative in the hospital. You know how he gets when we keep things from him."

Toshiro's gaze sharpened, but he said nothing. Byakuya replied, _"The man at your door is Ishiguro Kenzo. He's going to take your car. You and Toshiro are to get into the white car. I will be waiting for you at my office."_ Then he disconnected before Rangiku could protest.

Rangiku stared at the phone and exhaled. She wanted to be angry but a small part of her had always known that she would not have been allowed. Even if Byakuya had not stopped her, and Gin was conscious, there was still Gin's demand to get past. She gave Toshiro his cell, switched off the car and said, "Come on, Toshiro. Tou-san wants us to go back."

Toshiro took up his backpack, Rangiku retrieved her purse and they both got out of the car. "Ma'am," said Ishiguro with a nod as he got into the driver's seat.

Rangiku smiled back, and then started walking to the first chase car, Toshiro at her side. Toshiro was on his phone again, though this time he was messaging someone, at least that was what Rangiku guessed from the way the phone chimed intermittently. Karin, most likely. They got into the first car without protest, though Rangiku did cast one last look at the prison buildings before sliding in after Toshiro.

Another young man greeted them as they settled in, "Good morning, Kuchiki-sama, Hitsugaya-san, my name is Tachibana Kaito. I will take you both to Kuchiki-sama's office at Kuchiki Corporation headquarters. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

Rangiku smiled at him, but Toshiro ignored him. Neither said a word all the way back into the city.

No one batted an eye, at first, when Rangiku and Toshiro walked into the lobby of the main building of the Kuchiki Corporation's massive headquarters complex. Then someone must have recognised Rangiku for before they could make it to the elevator doors, activity quieted and murmurs rose. Rangiku caught more than a few lingering looks, particularly on Toshiro who definitely stood out with his white hair and school uniform. She put her hand on her son's back and guided him closer to her. He never looked up from his phone.

In the elevator, Ishiguro said, "I will be handing you over to Abarai Renji. He will take you to Kuchiki-sama's office."

"Okay," said Rangiku, curt.

She had had enough time to think about it and she decided that she was going to be angry. How dare he? How dare Byakuya and Gin both? Gin could have died in that attack. Did neither of them care what that meant to her? Did they not care what that could have done to Toshiro? She had already given up so much, were they really going to do this to her?

As Ishiguro said, Renji greeted them at the elevator doors. Being a generally friendly fellow, he smiled at them both and said, "Please forgive our actions, but it was critical that Kuchiki-sama not allow you to get to the prison."

Rangiku snapped. "Oh really? What, did he think I was going to try to break Gin out?"

Renji coloured pink, embarrassed, but Rangiku could not bring herself to care. And when they got to the door of Byakuya's office, she pushed past Renji to go in without waiting for invitation.

Byakuya stood with his back to the door, hands in his pockets, before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office that overlooked Tokyo. Rangiku stopped a few steps into the room and said, "What the hell was that?"

Byakuya did not turn around. It was then that Rangiku realised that Toshiro had not accompanied her, and she guessed that Renji must have stopped him to "let the adults talk". Well, that was fine. Rangiku did not want Toshiro picking up any of the language she wanted to use at the moment.

Finally, Byakuya said, "I see that you've forgotten the terms of Ichimaru Gin's turn as state witness against Aizen Sosuke. He will give them anything they need as long as they keep you away from him. Or is it that you believe that his near-death incident would somehow allow that to be set aside?" Here he turned and continued, "Because I can assure you, Rangiku, that it does not."

Rangiku did not care. She snapped, "He was hurt. What if he had died? Are you telling me that I still would not be able to see him?"

"Per the terms of the agreement, Rangiku, no, you would not," said Byakuya.

He turned back to the window, the picture of calm and control. Rangiku wanted to push him through the glass. How dare he lecture to her like a parent?

"I don't care!" she yelled. "I have to see him. I've waited long enough. He was hurt and I have to see him, and so does Toshiro."

"Toshiro would never have been allowed in the building," said Byakuya, not looking at her. "He's still only fifteen, and even when he is eighteen, Ichimaru Gin has expressly forbidden his visiting as well. As far as he is concerned, you and your son are persona non grata." Byakuya turned to her again, this time fully, meeting her gaze, and said, "And you know why."

Rangiku did not want to hear that. She marched over to Byakuya's desk, snatched up the wedding portrait and raised her arm to throw it at him. He seized her arm before she could, moving so quickly that she had not even noticed, and trapped both of her hands in his.

"Let me go!" she commanded, struggling against his grip, glaring up at him.

He ignored her, easily plucking the picture frame from her hands and setting it down on her desk. Then he turned back to her and said, "Do you also not care then, that should you break the terms of this agreement, Ichimaru Gin will die?"

She stopped struggling, stunned, and stared at him, eyes wide. His expression was still solemn, closed off, bored even, as he replied, "_That_ is what Ichimaru Gin demanded when he made his agreement. His intention, or so he claims, is to ensure that neither you nor Toshiro will be tainted further by his actions and his history. So, Rangiku, if you want him to live and be well, you _will_ stay away from him."

She just stared at him, then blinked and pulled her hands from his grasp. He let her go, and she walked over and sank into a blue-grey sofa nearby. After a moment, he joined her, taking a seat on a cream, upholstered chair next to the sofa. There was another chair and a small, low table between them. She barely registered him taking up one of the four glasses set up on the table and pouring her a glass of water. She took it without looking at him, and he said, "This was not part of the original agreement, as you know, but it was recently revised. Aizen has been making attempts to contact him. He could not allow him to use you."

Rangiku's hands were shaking so bad she nearly spilled water over herself. Byakuya came over to sit beside her and took the glass from her hands, set the glass down on the table and intertwined their fingers in his lap. She asked, "C-can it be reversed? This change to the agreement?"

"Not as long as Aizen Sosuke is alive," said Byakuya.

Rangiku felt the last of her rage drain away to be replaced by grief. She bit back her sobs though, to say, "I want to see him."

"No," said Byakuya.

"I hate you," she said.

"You do not know me well enough to hate me. You dislike that I am reinforcing a decision made by another who did so in the interest of your safety and his. No, you cannot see him. For his sake and yours, I will not allow it."

She took a breath, looked up at Byakuya's face and asked, "Is this how you are in court?"

Byakuya let his expression soften only a little, and replied, "I am much worse. You would really hate me then."

She looked away from him and said, "I still want to see him."

"If you try it again, I'm going to lock you in the house," he said.

"I'd shoot you," she said.

"Unlikely. Now stop being unreasonable…actually, it is good that you're here. We'll be going on our honeymoon in two weeks," he said.

It was such a sharp turn from what they had been discussing that Rangiku gawked at him. He got up from the couch beside her and walked back to his desk. Without looking back at her, he replied, "My grandmother arranged for us to honeymoon in Thailand, and before you ask, we must go lest anyone be suspicious. There is nothing to be concerned about, it is merely for appearances."

Rangiku opened her mouth to say something, stopped, then tried again and only managed, "What?"

"We shall have the entire island to ourselves. A villa and yacht with staff to see to our needs, and of course we shall be in constant contact with everyone here. I know that you will want to speak to Toshiro," he continued, as if he had not heard her.

At this she managed to regain her senses, and stood up, saying, "Wait, wait, wait, what? Hold on, _honeymoon_? Didn't we just change jobs? Don't we have some very important things to do?"

He turned his head to her and replied, "We shall only be away for a week, but, as I said, we shall be in contact with those here so it is as if we never left."

"No, no, no, I can't go. Aizen Sosuke is in Japan. I'm not leaving Toshiro in Japan with him," said Rangiku. The image of the black limousine, Aizen's smiling face, grim-faced gangsters pulling her toddler from her arms as she screamed for him. It was replaced by the sight of Toshiro in the hospital bed and Byakuya's cut up back and she squeezed her eyes shut.

Oblivious, Byakuya said, "He cannot come with us. It would be far easier to snatch him away out of the country. He will stay with Rukia and Hitsugaya-obaasan. She has assured me that he will not leave her sight and my security team will not let them out of theirs. We shall also be under guard at the villa, though I don't expect us to need it. Remember that we are to be unsuspecting."

"He has been sending us threats!" Rangiku snapped, incredulous.

Byakuya turned to face her fully and asked, "Do you think that I am not aware of the danger?"

She did not answer. Her glare was enough. He held her gaze as he said, "I have no intention of throwing you or your son to the wolves. I want to stop Aizen too, and he must and will be stopped. But we must be careful. If we act too quickly he will disappear again and the next time I see him I intend to see him dead."

She still glared and he softened his tone and said, "Think of it as a small vacation to get your mind off of things before they get worse."

Rangiku scoffed at that, and turned away from him. She said, "The last thing I want is to go anywhere with you that is not going to take me near Gin."

"That is unfortunate," said Byakuya, nonchalant. "Because the last place I will ever let you go is near him."

**0o0**

Hisagi came as soon as he was called, picking Rangiku up in his jet-black sports car, a flashy, juvenile thing he had spent a year's savings on after Rangiku had made a throwaway comment about wanting to ride in one, and taking her, as directed, to the furthest point in the city he could get without leaving it and setting off one of Byakuya's trackers. There was still a car behind them though, which she noticed while checking her makeup in the wing mirror. It made no attempt to stop them but that it was there and visible was warning enough.

Hisagi glanced at it when they finally stopped at the lookout and said, "I could shake them down if you want."

Rangiku glanced at the car again and shook her head, hugging herself, and said, "They're more worried about Aizen and his men than you." Then she squeezed her eyes shut, cursing at herself, because she had forgotten about Kaname Tosen and Mugurama Kensei. Hisagi said nothing though, and when she opened her eyes, it was to find him tightly gripping the steering wheel in his hands. She said, "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," said Hisagi. He released the steering wheel and glanced at her. She stared out at Tokyo at night, the city lights like stars, the city itself a galaxy that could barely contain the many worlds it held. He said, "What did he do this time?"

"Saved me from myself," she said, twisting her mouth as if she had tasted something sour. "Apparently, I almost got Gin killed this morning."

She felt rather than saw Hisagi stiffen, but did not turn to look at him. After a moment, he said, "Come again?"

She sighed and said, "Gin changed the terms of his deal after Aizen returned to Japan. If either I or Toshiro try to contact him, he wants to be moved to death row. And before you ask, yes, I checked. He really did sign the agreement, and since Byakuya was one of the prosecutors attached to that case, he witnessed it."

"This was before or after you married Byakuya?" asked Hisagi.

Rangiku shrugged, thought about it and then said, "Before, the day before in fact. I wondered too if Byakuya had arranged it but he's not that crooked."

"Are you sure?" asked Hisagi. "What was he doing in that 'geisha house' anyway?"

"I told you, he was there to curry favour with a potential investor in his uncle's campaign. Turned out the guy was yakuza, he did not know and I helped him dodge a bullet. Stupid me, I should have taken him in. Guys like him walk on stuff like that all the time. Can you believe that his family have a freaking ancestral _castle_?"

"You could still leave," said Hisagi.

Rangiku exhaled heavily and said, "Yeah, leave the country. Just take Toshiro and disappear. I think I just might make it to the South China Sea before one or the other hauls me back to shore."

"You could still leave," repeated Hisagi.

"I know," said Rangiku. She closed her eyes and leaned back into the seat. Bucket seats were not really made for comfortable reclining. She opened her eyes and found Hisagi staring at her. He was closer than he needed to be to talk. She did not move away. The men in the car behind them probably could not see them from this distance. She swept her thumb over the diamond-studded band on her left hand ring finger.

"If it was me…" Hisagi began, and then stopped, massaging his forehead. He took a breath, tried again, "If I was your husband, I would have respected your need to see Gin, even if it went against the deal, you had a right to see for yourself that he was okay. There are ways for you to see him without him knowing that you are there. You would not have to run. You would be able to talk to me about your problems and not go to another man."

Rangiku rolled the window down and put her hand out. Even in the dim light the ring sparkled like a star. Hisagi moved back and sent his window down as well.

"If it was you," said Rangiku, thinking about it for a moment. "It would not have made much of a difference. Gin has never wanted to see me, not since he joined up with Aizen when he was fifteen. He tried to keep me at arm's length and like a fool I just kept running back to him…but I would still have needed that ear."

"Then maybe you need to forget about Gin," said Hisagi.

Rangiku did not reply. She had thought about it, had tried even, but that was impossible. She said, "He was in my life for too much and for too long. I cannot forget him, not for anyone."

"You won't know until you try," said Hisagi.

Rangiku closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. When she opened them again, she said, "I want to drink. Take me to a club."

"What?" Hisagi asked, surprised at the sudden shift in conversation.

Rangiku straightened in her seat and rolled up the window. "Let's go, a club with a lot of loud music and alcohol and dancing."

Hisagi stared at her for a moment, still stunned, then blinked, straightened his own seat and started the car.

The first club was a washout. The crowd was too young and after the first joint pass, Rangiku just wanted to shut them down and arrest everyone. She only just stopped herself by forcing Hisagi to take her somewhere else. The second place had an older crowd, a restaurant with a dance floor. Rangiku had the lobster and champagne, while Hisagi stared at the beer in his hands as if it were doling out wisdom with each sip. When he asked her to dance, Rangiku refused, complaining about the "geriatrics" already there, and demanded that he take her to a karaoke bar.

Rangiku knew that she should probably feel bad about the way that she was treating him, but she did not really care. The karaoke place was in her old neighbourhood, a place she had frequented in high school. She tried to assemble a larger group but Nanao's phone was switched off and Momo had grumbled something about a date and hung up on her. Byakuya had not called but the car tailing them had not disappeared either so she supposed he was satisfied that she was okay. Fine, no karaoke for them, they would go to a geisha house then, a real one.

The geisha that came to them was not a woman at all, but an old rival by the name of Ayasegawa Yumichika who was called "Fuji Kujaku". Rangiku did not like that his stage name reminded her of Byakuya's bitch of an ex-fiancée but she could not hold it against him. Yumichika was beautiful in a way that made people take a double take, and in his make-up and bright purple kimono, though with a single kanzashi stuck into his long, black hair, was one of the most popular geisha at the house. He greeted Rangiku with air kisses and congratulated her on her wedding. He was not pleased to see her companion.

"What's this thing, Ran-chan? Where is your beautiful husband?" he asked, holding his fan up over his mouth and nose as if he had smelled something terrible. No one could do scorn like Yumichika, not even Rangiku. He had it down to an art.

Hisagi's eyes widened a moment before they narrowed into a glare and he snapped, "What did you just say?"

"Ah, and he's rude too," said Yumichika, turning away from Hisagi to look at Rangiku. "Don't do it, Ran-chan. If you're going to cheat, at least aim high."

"I'm _not_ cheating!" snapped Rangiku, glaring. She was having trouble thinking clearly. The alcohol was beginning to get to her. "I just needed a break."

"From what? Don't be silly. Let me see that ring!" he said and pulled Rangiku's hand to his lap to better examine the diamonds. Then he glared at Hisagi and said, "You see this here? You will _never_ be able to buy her anything like this. Stay in your league. Aim low. And above all, do not destroy her marriage. If you are responsible for anything off I read in the society pages in the coming weeks, I will gut you like a fish and feed you that thing between your legs."

"Why you…" Hisagi began.

Yumichika snapped his fan closed again, cutting Hisagi off and turned to Rangiku. "Go home to your husband; Ran-chan. Whatever you're mad at him about is nothing that you cannot work through together. Not if this is how you're reacting to it."

Rangiku inhaled and said, "I'm not mad at him."

Both Yumichika and Hisagi turned to look at her. "What?" Yumichika asked, forgetting to be delicate.

Rangiku shook her head, sobering a little as realisation hit. "I thought I was mad at him," she said, sadness settling over her. "But I'm mad at myself. I swore to myself a long time ago that I was not going to let Gin turn me into a wreck and look what's happened."

"Ah, this is about Ichimaru-san," said Yumichika, nodding. Then he smacked Rangiku on the head with his fan and said, "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you here with this loser then?"

"Hey!" protested Hisagi.

Rangiku felt her throat close up and tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision. "Oh goodness," she breathed, and then she began to cry.

Yumichika snapped his fan open again and fluttered it twice. It was the signal for privacy. A moment later, the screens were shut around them and he said, "What has gone wrong?"

For a time, Rangiku could only sob in reply. And then she said, "I'm so confused. Byakuya is…he's…he's a good man. He's a very good man. He cares about people, even if he does not show it. And Gin…Gin cares about me, only me, and sometimes Toshiro but only me. Byakuya could give a girl the world if he wanted to and Gin would give her the heart of the guy who looked at her wrong when she was walking home…I don't know what's wrong with me…."

"Oh, darling, don't…don't cry, don't do that," said Yumichika, slapping Rangiku's back. She coughed and he stopped to lift her chin so that he could see her face. Then he smiled at her and said, "Go home to your husband. You cannot have a life with Gin. He's a dead man living on borrowed time. Cry for him in that Mercedes and move on with your life." Then he released her chin, turned to Hisagi and said, "Now, you, take her home and stop trying to fill her head with nonsense. I think I'm done here."

In the end they were escorted out by Ikkaku, Yumichika's partner and bodyguard. And when they sat in Hisagi's car again, Rangiku said, "I think I should go home. It's been hours. I don't want him to come get me himself. It would be bad."

Hisagi began, "Rangiku, is he—"

"Let's go, Shuuhei," said Rangiku, drawing her seatbelt. When she buckled it, she sat back and refused to look at him.

After a moment, he exhaled, pulled his own seatbelt and started the car. Once they were on the move again though, Rangiku said, "Can we take the long way back?"

Hisagi did not reply but complied anyway. Rangiku kept her gaze trained out the window, silent, lost in her thoughts.

She did care for Byakuya, she was not in love with him, not yet, but she cared deeply. He was good to her and Toshiro, how could she not fall for him? But theirs was a marriage of convenience, not love. Instead of the grand ceremony she had always dreamed and his family would have demanded, they had a ten minute signing that did not even end in a kiss. Her wedding band was a gaudy thing he had selected because he thought she would have liked it, and he had brought along a plain one in case she had not. Her wedding gown was a day dress that still had the tag, which she only discovered when she took it off, and he had worn a suit he would have any other day in the office. She had never really wanted those things before, but she had also always thought that if she got married, there would be more to it than…whatever this was.

And then the other night he had kissed her. What was that about? Sure, it was probably the alcohol and he never mentioned it again, not even when the kiss made front page news, but still. They should have discussed that. They should not have let it happen in the first place.

She glanced over at Hisagi. He was a good man too, true, loyal and kind. He had loved her since the first day he saw her, or so he had told others, though never to her. He had thought himself beneath her notice and the truth was that he was not. She had noticed him but she just did not feel for him the way that she had about Gin…and what she was beginning to feel for Byakuya. Life just was not fair sometimes.

It took two hours for them to get back to Seireitei Tower, and that was because Hisagi had decided to stop for gas and a late-night snack. Rangiku had had two more beers and was well on her way to drunk. She knew she had passed tipsy and moved to high when Hisagi stopped the car in the parking garage and she kept missing the catch for the seatbelt.

"Hey, do you need help with that?" asked Hisagi.

Rangiku's fingers finally found the button and she said, "Nope."

Hisagi grasped her hand anyway and said, "Rangiku."

She looked up at him and he kissed her.

It was the shock that made her freeze when his lips pressed against hers. In all the time that Rangiku had known him, Hisagi had been dropping hints that he liked her but he had never made a move. He reached up to touch her face, and then tilted their heads to press firmer and Rangiku sobered at once. Then she pulled away from him and pressed her back into the door.

"What the hell?" she demanded.

The chase car had stopped and the men within had stepped out. One of them was walking towards the car. Hisagi just stared at Rangiku, his face red though he had set his mouth in a manner that suggested he was trying to be stubborn.

"What the hell?" Rangiku repeated. Then she searched around for the door handle, opened it and backed out of the car.

The Kuchiki guard who had been walking to the car met her as she emerged and shut the door for her. Rangiku walked away and around the car to go to the elevator. The second guard stood at the driver's side of Hisagi's car and said, "We'll take care of Kuchiki-san from here. Please, have a good night detective."

Rangiku did not hear Hisagi's reply. She was already in the elevator and willing it to take her up to condo faster.

That was stupid, stupid, stupid, so goddamned stupid! That was the stupidest thing she had ever done, well, second stupidest after marrying Byakuya. How the hell could she have allowed Hisagi to kiss her? If anyone had seen them, well apart from the Kuchiki guards who she was going to have a serious conversation with once she was fully sober…forget Aizen, the Kuchiki would kill her themselves.

**0o0**

"_Is she still with Hisagi-san?"_ asked Tomoe.

Byakuya exhaled and replied, "I don't know."

"_Your wife has been in the company of another man for more than five hours. The answer to the question of where exactly, should never be 'I don't know'."_

Byakuya closed his eyes against the scold and took another deep breath. Then he said, "I wanted to give her some space. She was upset about this morning."

"_Ah yes, this morning where she tried to go visit her old boyfriend with her son. Byakuya-sama, does she not sleep beside you at nights? Who are these men that she is able to run to whenever there is trouble? I thought she no longer worked with Hisagi Shuuhei?"_

The elevator stopped and Byakuya disembarked before replying, "She is not but they are friends."

"_You allowed this to continue?"_

"I could hardly stop it; she is an adult woman with her own mind," said Byakuya. He opened the door to the apartment and stepped in. Silence greeted him. Toshiro's books were on the kitchen counter again and so was Rangiku's handbag and cell phone. She would not have left without them.

"_She is your wife. If you forbid it, she has to obey you,"_ said Tomoe.

Byakuya scoffed. "Yes, because Grandfather certainly never had any trouble trying the same thing on you. Rangiku would shoot me."

Tomoe scoffed and replied, _"There is more than one way to make her unwilling to disobey you. We need her. I hardly think she's going to try to run if she's carrying your baby. Women think of the needs of the child first. She has already shown that—"_

Byakuya paused at the bottom of the staircase to process his grandmother's words and then took a breath. She stopped at the sound and he said, "You will not speak of that again."

"_Byakuya-sama—"_

"Need I remind you, in case you have forgotten, just how that first child came to be? Or are you one of those who believe that somehow Ichimaru Gin is actually Toshiro's biological father because I can assure you that he is not. I will not hear such a suggestion again," he said.

She took a breath herself, released it slowly and then said, _"All I mean is that she will not leave you if she believes herself to be in love with you. The attraction is there, it was all over the society pages. Make her believe that it is more than that."_

Byakuya sighed again and said, "Good night, grandmother." Then he disconnected the call and walked up the stairs to the bedroom. He opened the door to find Rangiku pacing.

She looked up without stopping—hair a tangled mess, eyes red, a bottle of sake in one hand—and said, "Oh, hi honey."

He lifted an eyebrow at her, and her term of endearment, and said, "Is something wrong?"

"No," she said, dismissing his question with a headshake. Then she stopped and turned to look at him. Byakuya stood straighter, waiting. After a moment she groaned, set down the bottle on the dressing table and stomped across the room to him.

He did not take a step back but he wanted to, especially with the way she held his gaze. She stopped again when she stood before him, took a deep breath and then leaned forward and kissed him.

Byakuya was so surprised he froze. Rangiku did not notice, she pressed closer, putting one hand on his chest to brace herself while the other cupped the back of his head. He inhaled sharply and she slid her tongue along his lips and tried to slip it past them. That jerked him from his stupor and Byakuya seized hold of her arms and pushed her away from him.

For a moment they just stared at each other, Rangiku still with that determined look in her eyes and Byakuya stunned, and then he asked, "Rangiku, what are you doing?"

She pushed back against his grip but stopped when he held her fast and said, "Kissing my husband."

She did not try to press him again but ducked her head a little, as if shy, and looked up at him through her eyelashes. His wife knew very well how to play coquette. But why? It could not have been Tomoe, because he doubted any woman, particularly one with Rangiku's history, would be party to her own entrapment. So what was this? Holding her gaze, he slipped his hands from her arms to her back and pulled her up against him. She did not hesitate to kiss him again.

This time when she tried to deepen the kiss, he let her, tilting his head to the side so that she could have better access. Her hands slid up his shoulders and he felt her tongue reaching even further. He slid his along hers, and drew it in, letting her explore his mouth and get used to the taste of him. She was eager, if a little drunk, getting up on tiptoe to wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He could feel the press of her breasts against his chest, the friction of the movement hardening the nipples and sending a tingle to the base of his spine. Heat surged through his belly, the sound of her panting breaths calling to his long dormant desires. Then she slid one leg along his and hooked her foot along his calf. He almost feel the blood going south as he hardened and he pulled back breaking the kiss. Her lips chased his own but when he refused her, she exhaled and began pressing kisses along his jaw to his throat.

This was not just a kiss, she did not even seem to care that he had stopped responding. Her fingers sought the collar of his shirt, she loosened and pulled his tie free and dropped it on the floor. He seized her hands, stilling them and she stepped back to look at him.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

She smiled again and pulled her hands free and took off her own jacket. He could clearly see her nipples beaded against her blouse a moment before she pulled her blouse from her skirt and up over her head. His eyes went wide. She was wearing a bra, a dark blue lace one that concealed nothing beneath, but he suspected that she did not intend to wear it for long. He walked over to her and seized her hands as they went for her skirt.

"What are you doing?" he repeated.

"We could, you know," she said in a low voice.

Byakuya stopped and stared at her, stunned. There was no slurring in her response. If he had not tasted the alcohol he would think her completely sober. She ignored his hands to unzip and drop her skirt. Of course the bottom half of her underwear matched the top, though the boy shorts did not quite cover her round peach rear end. She said, "We don't have to wait for the honeymoon. They already think we have and your grandmother is practically begging us to, so we can." She reached for his belt, unbuckled it and pulled it free.

"Rangiku," he said. He wanted to stop her. He knew that he should because she was intoxicated but he was having a little trouble communicating that to his hands. She grinned when she noticed his arousal and began to unbutton his shirt. This time when he grasped her hands he said, "You're drunk. Is that what you've been doing all day?"

She wrenched her hands from his and walked away. There were two deep dimples in flesh above her rear end. "I'm not that drunk," she said. She turned to look at him, smiling. "I made this decision of my own free will and volition. And a little alcohol makes it fun."

She reached up again and unhooked her bra. Byakuya swallowed and then walked over and seized her hands again before she could pull it off her shoulders. She glared at him and said with a pout, "If you keep doing that I'm going to think that you don't want me."

"Stop it. You know you don't want to do this," he said, trying to put some force behind it.

She lifted an eyebrow and said, "So what you're saying is, you don't mind?"

He sighed, turned her around and then bent to get a hand behind her knee and lifted her up into his arms. She squealed in surprise. Byakuya did not go to the bed though, but to the bathroom, set her down in the shower and turned it on. This time she screamed in outrage.

"I think you need to cool down. Stay there until you do," he said. Then he turned his back and purposely walked out of the bathroom. He stopped in the middle of the bedroom, breathed out and then laughed. Of all the things he had been expecting when he got home that evening, it was certainly not his wife's drunken attempt at seduction. How cruel she was. Did she have any idea what she was asking for? Did she think that when he took her to his bed that he would easily allow her to leave? Sawako was different, he did not feel anything for Sawako, but Rangiku…

He bent to retrieve her clothing from the floor and his phone rang. He answered without looking at the number and so was not prepared for the voice on the other end.

"_Hello, Kuchiki-sama."_

Byakuya stopped, then straightened and glanced back at the bathroom. Rangiku had not yet emerged. All thoughts of her naked and panting, writhing beneath him flew from his mind. He walked out of the bedroom and shut the door before replying, "Ichimaru Gin."

"_How kind of you to remember my name. How is Ran-chan?"_

"My wife is none of your concern," said Byakuya. He went down to the living room. Both Toshiro and Granny Hitsugaya were in the house and neither of them needed to overhear this conversation.

"_Nope, I think Ran-chan is absolutely my concern. Did you give her my message?"_

Byakuya decided not to reply. He went over to his office. There were people he needed to contact. Gin did not seem bothered by Byakuya's silence. He replied cheerily, _"I'll take that as a 'no' then. Well, what did I expect? I did sign her over to ya…but you know, on reflection, I don't think that was such a good idea. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take Ran-chan back."_

"That's interesting," said Byakuya, booting his computer, "I do wonder how you intend to do that from the confines of your prison cell."

Gin chuckled and replied, _"Well that's the thing. I could not do that in there, I know, so I'm out."_

Byakuya stopped. Gin laughed and said, _"Yep, prison's not for me so I left. I should have gone a while back but that was when I thought you were going to keep Ran-chan safe. As it turns out, you can't, so now I have to show you how it's done."_

Byakuya said, "You will stay away from my wife, Ichimaru Gin. If you have escaped as you claim, your life is now forfeit. I cannot allow you to do the same to her."

Gin sighed and said, _"You noble types, always talking about what you will or won't allow, and what people can or cannot do. Ran-chan though, she's not like you. What makes you think she won't come running to me? How are you going to stop her?"_

Byakuya decided not to reply but Gin just laughed and disconnected the call. Byakuya took the phone away from his ear and threw it into the opposite wall. This was not the time. His uncle had dismissed his challenge as if he were still the hot-headed spoiled brat he used to be. Sawako was the genuinely efficient and level-headed manager the Kuchiki needed. Aizen was trying to kill him and according to his security team, it was quite clear that the man had spies on him and his family. Worse, Byakuya had no evidence to link the two men and he had been searching for weeks. The last thing he needed was his wife's ex-boyfriend joining the fray. It was time to call in some help.


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: I'm baaaaacck! Did you miss me? I'm so sorry, I had school and then volunteering at a literary festival and then I got really lazy and disillusioned with myself and now I'm back. Also, there was the **_**Naruto**_** thing. Anyway, time to get back on track. I hope this does something for my absence. **_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.**_

**Juu-san**

Rangiku greeted Byakuya with a pained groan as he walked into their bedroom to wake her that morning. He stopped in the middle of the room, cup of coffee in hand and waited. She pulled the covers over her head, grunted and said, "Why is it so bright in here? I need the darkness of the grave. Please, let me bury my shame."

Byakuya lifted an eyebrow and then continued on to her side of the bed, knelt and placed the cup before the general area of her head. A moment later the cover was lifted slightly and she said, voice considerably more saccharine, "Sweet, dear husband, to what do I owe the pleasure of this greeting?"

He pressed the cup closer, she pushed her hand out to take it, and he replied, "I would ask you the same of last night."

She groaned again and slunk further beneath the covers. "Let's not talk about last night, please? Let's just pretend it did not happen."

"No," said Byakuya, fighting back a smile. "I'm afraid I cannot. It's all seared into my memory. I find myself replaying it in my head from time to time when I am away from you...I didn't know that you had dimples."

She pushed the cup back to him from under the covers and said, "That was not the deal. I'm so sorry. I was drunk."

Byakuya did not take the cup and after a moment she pulled it back into her cocoon. Then he said, "Or perhaps you were feeling guilty?"

She sprayed the pillow with coffee and then pulled the cover off her head completely to look at him, her face red and her eyes wide. Byakuya continued, "I understand that the alcohol may have impaired your judgement a little, but I do wonder if it simply loosened what little inhibitions you seem to possess." The sudden, intense surge of anger was a surprise. He had spent all morning insisting to himself that he was not bothered by what the guards reported had happened between her and her former colleague the night before. And he was not, not really.

Her gaze narrowed at once and she said, "I did not mean to kiss him. He surprised me, that's all."

Byakuya met her gaze and replied, "You are neither stupid nor naïve. I am sure that you are aware of his affections for you. You should not have put yourself in that position."

She scowled and turned away from him. "I am not having this conversation with you. I'm sorry for coming on to you but I'm not going to apologise for what happened with Hisagi. Let's just hope that there were no cameras around."

Byakuya took a breath, pondering the stubbornness of his wife, and said, "Rangiku."

She refused to look at him. He got off his knee and sat on the bed beside her. She shifted away, keeping her head turned. He smiled at her, though he knew that she could not see it and said, "Forgive me. You are correct that you have nothing to apologise for. Your 'friend' Hisagi has a lot to explain, but you were not wrong. That said there is a public document that says that this marriage is not a sham and I would ask you to keep that in mind in future."

She made to protest, turning to glare at him, but he continued before she could get the words out, "Further to that, I would ask that if you intend to approach me in such a manner again that you at least do me the courtesy of being sober and with a clear conscience."

Her eyes widened again and this time he turned his head away from to say, "I…have news."

There was a moment's silence, and then she sat up. He did not want to look at her. He was very sure that he would be very annoyed if he saw the expression on her face. For the time being, Ichimaru Gin was the man who ruled her heart. When Byakuya remained silent, Rangiku prompted, "Hey, what's going on? Did something happen?"

Byakuya made sure that his expression was blank when he turned to his wife and said, "Ichimaru Gin has escaped from the prison hospital."

There was a pause, a beat where Rangiku just stared at him and then she blinked. Byakuya focused his attention over her shoulder and said, "I know this because he contacted me last night to tell me of his escape. I suppose you can understand how this changes things. I can no longer protect him now that he has run away. If he is caught he will most certainly be sent to death row."

"He contacted you?" asked Rangiku.

Byakuya closed his eyes and took a breath. Yes, all she would have cared about was the first part. She probably had not heard a word beyond his first statement. He replied, "Yes. It was…not the first time."

He felt rather than heard her sharp intake of breath. It took all of his willpower to continue, "He had sent me messages before. Nothing of any particular importance, but considering his situation I thought nothing of it. Now that he is out though, I suspect that he shall make some attempt to contact you." At this he looked back at Rangiku's face, saw her eyes shining with tears, her mouth slightly opened in horror, and said, "Do not go to him, Rangiku. If you value his life and your own safety, do not go to him."

She closed her mouth and turned away from him. Byakuya did not move and Rangiku leant back against the headboard and asked, "How many times?"

Byakuya did not answer.

She scoffed and said, "I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm not going to run off with him. There's no future in that and you've already proven that you won't let me."

"I cannot allow you to ruin Toshiro's life," said Byakuya.

She scoffed again and said, "Which one of us gave birth to him, I wonder? I _do_ care about what happens to him, you know. I'm not going to throw away all that effort on some fantasy of what-might-have-been with Ichimaru Gin…he's…he's already shown me time and time again that he does not want me tagging along."

Byakuya studied her expression for a moment, cataloguing the features and hating himself for it, knowing it was only because he was afraid of her running, and said, "You need to go to work today. If you do not they will be suspicious."

Rangiku only nodded, not looking at him and Byakuya imagined that she was thinking of Gin. He clenched his hands into fists and stood. She turned to him at the movement and he said, "I must go to work too. I shall see you later."

He started for the door, determined to maintain the façade of nonchalance and disinterest in the matter. The whole thing, with the exception of that one little flare of jealousy, had gone rather well in his opinion. He just needed to leave the apartment as soon as possible. And not just because he had some people to collect at the airport. And then Rangiku said, "Byakuya."

He stopped immediately but just managed not to turn to face her. In his peripheral vision he saw that she had gotten out of bed and stood now in the middle of the room. She said, "Thank you…for trusting me enough to tell me."

Byakuya felt a lurch in his chest but gave her a sharp nod and walked away before she could say another word. He had to go to work. If he remained with her a moment longer he was going to lock her in their bedroom and throw away the keys.

**0o0**

Rangiku thought she did very well in making it all the way to lunch before sneaking out of work and hailing a taxi to take her back to her old house. So yes, she had promised Byakuya that she would not risk both their lives by going after Gin and she was not going to. She had no intention of running away with Gin, and not just because Byakuya had the means to take her son away from her. She just needed to see Gin, confirm with her own eyes that he was alive and well, and then she would go back home. She had even taken her phone, which she knew to have a tracer courtesy Byakuya's security team and everything.

She had not had to think very hard about where Gin would be. Of course he would taunt whatever authorities were chasing him by going to his ex-girlfriend's house. That the house had not been used for weeks now, and was devoid of supplies would not bother him. He was not going to be there long anyway.

The taxi driver had given Rangiku a double-take when she told him the address she was headed. Clearly it was not a common occurrence for women from this side of town to head there. She did her best to swallow her irritation at that and repeated the address. He turned with a shrug and merged into the traffic.

Her phone rang when she turned onto the old, familiar street. Rangiku ignored it, paid the driver and hopped out. The neighbourhood was quiet, mostly deserted at this time of day. A few dogs were barking, a baby wailed, and from the house next door she could hear the TV running alongside the washer. It was as if nothing had changed and yet everything was different. For one, Rangiku's former neighbours had no idea of the dangerous criminal in their midst.

Rangiku waited until the taxi was completely out of sight before heading over to the house and letting herself in.

The house was quiet, dark and only slightly dusty when she entered. Most of her furniture was still there, covered by great white sheets, ready for her whenever she returned. Ha, that was a funny thought. Mere weeks with Byakuya and Rangiku knew that she could not live here again and not just because of the handsome pay-out waiting for her on their divorce.

Rangiku pondered the wisdom of going in through the front door in broad daylight but then dismissed the thought. This was still her house and if she wanted to go in she could. She took a few steps in and then paused again, wondering if Gin would answer if she called his name. Then she thought about how silly it would be to call out the name of a recent fugitive. The dust in the air tickled her nose and she sneezed.

"Bless you," said someone.

Rangiku froze. Gin stepped out of the bathroom, expression serious. When his gaze met hers though, he smiled that wide fox smile, the kitsune, and said, "Hey ya, Ran-chan. Took ya long enough to find me. I was beginning to worry."

Rangiku could not bring herself to speak. Gin was thin and pale, paler even that she remembered, though his sky-blue eyes, so like Toshiro's though they shared no relation, were bright and clear. The silver hair that gave him his name was slightly dirty, perhaps from his escape, as were his clothes, but his face was freshly washed and with a change of clothes he would look no different from any other yakuza inhabitant of this neighbourhood. Poof, just like that he would disappear.

She squeezed her hands into fists, willing strength into her spine, felt the cool press of Byakuya's ring on the fourth finger of her left hand and said, "Why did you do it? You're dead now. The police will never let you live after this."

Instead of replying immediately, Gin walked over to the kitchen and began opening cupboards. Rangiku remained where she was, waiting. Gin took out a glass, filled it at the sink and took a long drink before replying, "I was never meant for long in this world, Ran-chan. Not a snake like me. If the _itachi_ don't get me, one of my former brothers-in-arms will. Did you know Aizen-sama had declared a _zetsuenjo_? Anyone sees me, helps me, they're dead. I'm dead anyway, Ran-chan."

Rangiku's vision blurred as the tears welled in her eyes and she swallowed the tightness in her throat before replying, "You were safe. It was prison, but you were safe. Why did you do this?"

Gin washed the glass and replaced it on the sink before turning to face her, hands in his pockets. He had stopped smiling. Rangiku felt something lodge itself in her chest, pressing against her heart. She squeezed her fists tighter. Gin's gaze flicked down to her hands for a moment and then he said, "That's a pretty bright bauble you got there. Wonder how much it set back Kuchiki-sama? Or does he even know?"

Rangiku's cheeks warmed and she had to look away from him, the tears flowing faster now. With horror, she realised that she was ashamed. Then horror quickly turned to fury and she snapped, "You will not imply that Byakuya _bought_ me. You will not. I—"

Gin cut her off by grasping her hands in his own, so cold, as if he had not seen the sun in years, probably had not, and bringing them to his mouth. When she felt the press of his lips against them she gasped and looked back at him, eyes wide. He held her gaze, his serious, and said, "Oh, Ran-chan, that's not what I meant. You deserve every pretty thing he buys you. You deserve the world, Ran-chan. I cannot give that to you. I have never been a—" He stopped, dropped his gaze, took a breath and started again, "It is good to see you well, Ran-chan. I would hate to have to kill him too."

Rangiku wrenched her hands from him and stepped back, fury resurging. She snapped, "Is that it? You came out here to kill Aizen? Is this some elaborate form of seppuku? Is that what you think you're doing?"

The fox grin returned, and Gin gave her an exaggerated bow as he replied, "Anything for my lady, on my honour."

Rangiku only just managed to keep herself from hitting him by saying, "And if I told you to go back to prison? If you go now I'm sure we could work something out. Byakuya has a lot of influence. Someone will help you."

Gin bowed lower and said, "'Fraid not, my lady. Unfortunately, this one cannot obey your order at this time. This one has another duty that this one must absolutely obey."

Rangiku punched him in the shoulder. He ducked out of the way of her second blow and straightened to seize her arms before she could hit him a third. But he was still smiling as he said, "Now, now, don't hurt your hands. Come on, come in, have a seat with me."

He pulled her into the living room, swept a dust cover off a bean bag and dropped her onto it before taking the one opposite. Rangiku glared at him. He grinned back and said, "Where is Toshiro-kun? I thought you would have brought him."

Rangiku did not flinch. She said, "Byakuya won't let me. He doesn't want anything to happen to ruin Toshiro's chances."

Gin's grin faded a little and he said, "That is rather considerate of a temporary son."

"Byakuya is rather considerate," Rangiku agreed. "He could have had a car waiting for me when I arrived here but I haven't seen one."

"There's a black Lexus," said Gin. "Saw it rolling past while I had my water."

Rangiku's gaze flickered to the door, half-expecting it to be kicked in at that exact moment. When nothing happened, she said, "See. He's very considerate. But I'm not. I'm a fool. I should not be here with you. I love you. I have been in love with you since I was thirteen years old and almost at every turn you keep pushing me back. What am I doing? If I get caught in here with you my career is over. The courts won't think twice about handing Toshiro over to Byakuya if he demands him, a boy that is not even his son. If I had any sense I would have called a team in the moment I realised where you were."

"But you won't, now will ya, Ran-chan?" said Gin, serious again. "I only came here to see you but I'm serious about what I said before. I have something to do and I cannot let you stop me."

Rangiku swallowed a gasp, dropping her gaze to the floor between them and asked, "You would kill me?"

"Never," said Gin at once. "But I won't let you get in my way. Do not get in my way, Rangiku. Go home, go to work, go out with your friends and Toshiro, but don't get involved in this."

"I won't let you get yourself get killed. And Aizen intends to kill you. How can you expect me to sit by and do nothing?" she demanded, glaring at him.

Gin held her gaze for almost a minute before grinning again. Rangiku felt her heart skip a beat and a chill climbed her spine. Gin only ever looked at her like that when he was going to do something that she did not like. He stood from his seat and she scrambled to her feet, determined not to have him tower over her. He started walking towards her and Rangiku backed up, almost tripping over the bean bag. She did not fall though, because Gin reached out to grab her and then pulled her into his arms. She squeaked, alarmed, but forced herself to keep calm under the force of Gin's stare until he dipped his head forward and pressed his mouth to hers.

Stunned, Rangiku blinked, but before she could react Gin released her, pulling her bag from her shoulder as he went. She barely registered the action, still trying to process what had just happened, and so made no move to stop him as he opened it and retrieved her phone. That was, until Gin unlocked the phone and made a call.

"What are you d—" she began.

"Come and get your wife," he said into the phone. "I won't be here when you do."

"Wha—" Rangiku tried again. Gin ignored her, put her phone back into her bag and handed it back to her. She took it wordlessly, and then Gin reached over to sweep a hand over her head and down through her hair to caress her cheek, expression almost gentle, almost guilty, and then he turned and walked away.

Rangiku was quick on his heels. There was no way in hell that she was letting Gin out of her sight. He headed for the back door but as Rangiku made to follow, the front door opened and Byakuya stepped into the house.

"Rangiku?" he called.

Rangiku paused for a second but Gin was already out the back door. It slammed shut in her face just as she got to it. She tried the handle but the door refused to budge.

"Rangiku," said Byakuya again, closer now. Rangiku did not answer, trying to figure out why the door would not open no matter how she pushed against it.

"Rangiku, stop," said Byakuya, folding his fingers around her hand on the doorknob. "If you go out there I won't be able to protect you."

She yanked her hand out of his grip and backed into the wall to glare at him. "I don't want you to protect me!" she snapped, furious. "I can take care of myself. We have to stop him. He's an escaped convict, are we just supposed to let him go?"

Byakuya's expression was open so Rangiku could clearly see the sadness in his eyes as he replied, "Just this once."

Rangiku turned away from him to try the door again, rattling the doorknob and pushing against it. Byakuya made no move to stop her. She started pounding on the door but clenched her teeth to stop herself from yelling Gin's name. If any of her neighbours heard her and called the police, Gin would be caught. But then, was that not what she wanted?

She stopped pounding on the door and pressed her forehead against the cool wood. All the fight had left her. She closed her eyes and said, voice barely above a whisper, "Bastard, if you die, I'll kill you."

**0o0**

Neither Granny Hitsugaya nor Toshiro were there when Byakuya brought Rangiku back to the apartment. The house was as silent as the woman beside him and though Byakuya had expected it, the hurt was still there. Rangiku, oblivious, walked right past him and went upstairs to their bedroom. Byakuya watched her go, knowing that there was still an argument coming, two, once his guests arrived, but willing to give her some space if only to settle himself. Did he have any right to be upset in this situation when he just knew that she would have gone running to find Gin the first chance she got? If anything he should be grateful that Gin had not decided to try to take her with him.

Byakuya's team had not reported any media or police activity in the area in the aftermath of their departure. Gin had slipped in and out with the near-supernatural grace that had made him a feared member of Aizen's gang. Rangiku too had offered no hint that anything was amiss, as if she still belonged there as they made their way back to the car and out of the neighbourhood. It was Byakuya, ironically, surprisingly, who had had trouble containing the emotions just bubbling beneath the surface of his very expensive imported suit. He had been unable to sit still the entire ride back to Seireitei and even now, standing in the living room, was just itching to do _something_ that he was nearly vibrating.

Now he understood what Kurosaki Ichigo so often complained about with Rukia.

There was a muffled thud from above, followed by a low curse, and Byakuya took the steps two at a time to get to Rangiku. He found her on the floor of their bedroom, massaging a sore spot on her behind, the shoe she tripped over in one hand. She looked up at him as he came in and asked, "What?"

Byakuya halted for only a breath—she was _fine_, she was still _there_—before he continued into the room and sat down on the bed. Then he said, "You lied to me."

Rangiku turned away from him and said, "I had to see him. It's…I last saw him at his trial. It's been years. You would—"

"Don't you dare," snapped Byakuya, cutting her off. "This is not the same. What if a neighbour had seen him?"

Rangiku scoffed, "As if everything's going so well now."

Byakuya had chosen his words carefully when he asked, "Do you want out?" He pretended that his heart was not racing in anticipation of her answer by glaring at her back. She had worn a halter with a low back under her coat and he could see clearly the creamy skin along her spine. How he itched to trail his fingers along that column.

Rangiku shook her head after some consideration and the relief that swept through Byakuya was so intense it left him near light-headed. She said, "I…need to think. I just…he's gone and done it now, you know? Either he gets killed trying to kill Aizen or we kill him trying to catch him. And even if he survives and escapes he can never return to Japan again. I'll never see him again. I…it hurts s_o much_."

Byakuya did not think about it, he simply reached forward and pulled her into him. She ended up between his legs, her head against his thigh, one arm hooked around his ankle, while he ran his fingers through her hair. She did not cry, but he could sense the sadness in her mood. And he was quite prepared to comfort her, even as something inside him was beating a triumphant tattoo. There was some hope left.

And then Yoruichi walked in, took one look at them and said, "Ne, Byakuya-bo, that's not how babies are made. You need to put that part in the other end."

Rangiku squeaked, startled, but Byakuya held her fast before she could move away and said, "Get out."

Yoruichi cackled, leaning against the door and said, "Don't stop on my account."

Byakuya exhaled heavily and pulled Rangiku up until she was practically sitting on his lap. She had to grasp hold of his shoulders to steady herself and he said, "We'll be down shortly. Be a good guest until then and wait in the living room, will you?"

Yoruichi scoffed but did as she was told, grumbling as she went, "Damn brat, still as rude as ever. This is not how you get people to help you…."

Rangiku stood up almost as soon as Yoruichi was out of earshot and asked, "What's going on? What's she doing here?"

Byakuya stood as well, heading for the door, and replied, "Things have changed, Rangiku. We're going to need some help and Yoruichi and the others are going to provide it."

"The others?" asked Rangiku.

Byakuya did not reply and Rangiku followed him out and down to the living room where the "others" were. It was Yoruichi, her husband, Urahara Kisuke, Sui-Feng, and a tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired man who happened to be Rangiku and Toshiro's doctor and Kurosaki Ichigo's father, Kurosaki Isshin.

"Ah," said Rangiku, nodding, though her brow was still slightly furrowed.

The fourth person stepped out of the kitchen then, a tall, skinny blond man with a wide grin that revealed far too many teeth for Byakuya's liking and introduced himself with a bow, "Hirako Shinji, at your service, Kuchiki-san."

Rangiku bowed in return and then turned to Byakuya with a raised eyebrow. It was Yoruichi who answered though, saying, "What? You didn't think Byakuya-bo and company took down Aizen the first time by himself, did you? We let you guys have at it for a while and then stepped in when things got boring. Of course, we couldn't do it without one more person."

They all stepped back to clear Rangiku's view into the living room and she gasped. Seated on their sofa, expression blank, was Tier Harribel. Yoruichi grinned at Rangiku and said, "I've heard that you two know each other, but I don't think you've been properly introduced. This is Sosuke-kun's ex-wife."


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: I have rewritten this chapter multiple times. I accept that I will never love it. Also, yeah, the rating may soon go up, like in the next chapter or two. Or three.**_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.**_

**Juu-shi**

"Sosuke and I met in high school," Tier began in a voice that was as bereft of emotion as Byakuya's. Not a hint that she was anything other than the rational, straight-laced officer of the law that everyone knew her to be, not even in this. Rangiku was still caught up in the fact that this woman had been _married_ to Aizen. Did Tier know who Rangiku was before she walked into her office?

Byakuya reached for Rangiku's hand and she let him take it, intertwining their fingers and squeezing lightly.

"We were never actually married, which helped later though I had never cared about that," Tier continued. She looked at Byakuya and Rangiku's joined hands and then away to the city beyond the great windows, and said, "Or I did not until we had our son."

"Aizen has a son?" said Rangiku, eyes wide. "So what the hell did he want with mine?"

At this, Tier turned back to her, expression still blank, composed, and said, "Yes, we do have a son. He is only three years older than your Toshiro. But Wonderweiss—that is what he likes to be called—is not the heir that Sosuke needs. Our son is a low-functioning autistic. Your Toshiro is a genius. You can see which one he would prefer."

Rangiku closed her eyes, trying to rein in the terror that rose up then, bringing with it a flood of memories. Byakuya tightened his hold on her hands and whispered something she barely heard: "Breathe."

She counted to ten in her head and opened her eyes, as Tier began again, "Sosuke had not been particularly interested in children but I had insisted on keeping the child. I might have been young and had just left high school but I had been used to taking care of myself. Sosuke made no further objections and was there for every appointment and the birth. Then, when he decided to move me into his house I went. I loved him and by then thought that this was it. That we were going to be a nice regular family like the one I had lost early. Instead, that was when I learned the true nature of Sosuke's family and their business. He made no attempt to hide it, probably believed that I was already tainted by continuing our relationship after starting Criminal Law studies. And he was right, in a way, I did not care to tell his secrets. Then we got the diagnosis I had suspected for quite some time and everything changed."

Tier looked to Byakuya and said, "Suddenly Sosuke was obsessed with finding the perfect successor, as you would understand Kuchiki-san. I found this out only afterwards, of course, because at the time I was only concerned with getting Wonderweiss to function on his own. I certainly had no interest in another child, it just was not possible. I understood that Sosuke and I were not going to be around him forever so he needed to be able to go out in the world on his own. But an autistic child is a lot of work and that put a strain on both our relationship and my studies. Or maybe that was just the excuse Sosuke needed to kick me out of the house. He kept our son because he had the means and Tosen-sensei to back him up. It was not that I was unfit, you see, it was just that Wonderweiss needed the familiar environment and routine and abruptly changing that would set him back. I honestly don't know how far Wonderweiss has come since I left. I know that Sosuke did take our son with him when he left Japan, and there have been rumours about them in China, but I have not seen my son for years."

Tier met Rangiku's gaze then. "I did not know about you. Not…not until afterwards. When they took your son, when Ichimaru-sama—Gin-san…he came to me, you see, to find out what I knew. He was…unpleasant, to say the least, but I have never been afraid of him. I was surprised that Sosuke even knew of you given how frequently some of his dogs attacked young women. But I suppose what Gin-san did to those men was hard to forget."

"And now he's going after his former superior," said Isshin. "Aizen should not have gone after Toshiro again."

"Yes, indeed, a tactical error that was," said the blonde man, Hirako. "But in the first place, everything seems aimed at Kuchiki Byakuya-san and his family here. We also don't actually know whose side Ichimaru Gin is on, except for his. And before you ask, Rangiku-san, I was once Sosuke-kun's superior…in a way. I worked undercover for years in the organisation he eventually took over and remade in his own image."

The man must have been much older than he looked. He also offered no further credentials, but winked at her and asked, "Do you know what Ichimaru-san might do next?"

Isshin replied before she could, "Something bloody. He has a shit-list a mile long and nothing to lose."

Rangiku glanced at her doctor, still trying to grasp the fact that the man who had been treating her and Toshiro for years, also personally knew Byakuya. Or that he could be serious.

Byakuya squeezed her fingers lightly, drawing her attention and said, "We have a plan."

Rangiku waited for him elaborate but it was Yoruichi who said with a snort, "Carry on as usual, obviously."

They both turned to her. She lifted an eyebrow and folded her arms over the swell of her belly before replying, "What? While it is important to have something in motion, we cannot act without knowing what Gin plans on doing. Even Aizen is going to wait to see what happens next. Ichimaru Gin is a wildcard who knows too much and yet is too dangerous to outright kill. Didn't work the last few times they tried anyway. He will not go down without taking as many people with him as he can."

"So that's it?" asked Rangiku, more than a little surprised considering the conference they were currently having.

"Heck no," said Yoruichi. "We're already on the offensive. Aizen's attack on Byakuya-bo and your son exposed an infiltration in our ranks that our team's already looking at. For one, your grandmother is going to have a new nurse in a few days."

"What?" Rangiku said, feeling hopelessly lost and annoyed by it. Back when her life was normal she had had an information network that would have been the envy of many international intelligence organisations.

Byakuya explained, "Granz-san has quite the colourful history that was well-sealed from the extensive background check we did. Somehow they neglected to seal that of his brother though. Kurotsuchi-san, who works with Urahara-san here, has sent his daughter, Nemu, to ease the transition. I'm told she is quite capable for the task."

Rangiku, still caught up on the fact that one of Aizen's men was in their house, gaped at him. Byakuya's expression softened somewhat at her horrified one, and he said, "Of course, their reach into Kuchiki Enterprises is far more extensive. Granz-san has no idea what has happened, so he will not be reporting anything untoward until we need him to. Getting rid of those in the company though is going to be much more difficult."

"And to think, this only took us one night to find out," said Yoruichi. She looked over at Tier. "Or one phone call."

Tier nodded and said, "I am still quite surprised that Sosuke has not come after me. He's not a sentimental man and he knows that I know most of his men. Of course some of these men are quite new or had been in lower positions at the time. I will confess here that I did not seek them out."

"It helped that we had been looking into the Kouga-Aizen connection from the start," said Yoruichi. "And along the way found a photograph that led to some public documents and then to your new boss."

"I will help in any way that I can, though in an unofficial capacity," said Tier. "You will forgive me for not wanting to be involved more than absolutely necessary. I still have to be mindful of retaliation. I do not have the support system of a wealthy family to fall back on. All I want is my son back. I might be too late to undo the worst of the damage, but I cannot let him remain with Aizen. This may be my only chance."

"What you have provided is more than sufficient," said Byakuya, drawing Rangiku's attention again. "We're going to stage a hostile takeover, forcing my uncle out of the company and his position as head of the clan."

"How?" asked Rangiku, before she could think better of it. Byakuya had a determined look in his eyes that was doing something funny to her insides. "I thought you could not before."

Byakuya averted his gaze and replied, looking distinctly uncomfortable, "I could not. What changed was the escape of Ichimaru Gin. You see, before he went to meet you he called my uncle on his personal cell phone and informed him in no uncertain terms that he had twenty-four hours to sever all ties with Aizen or he would kill him."

Rangiku's mouth fell open. Byakuya continued, "My uncle of course, refused and contacted the police. And then in a fit of panic, or so we can only assume, he called Aizen."

"Of course, he did not call Aizen directly," said Yoruichi. "But he did make a call to a disposable phone and left a message. That is the kind of activity we have been waiting for. Ichimaru Gin being out is a problem not just for Aizen, but for anyone working with him."

"Yes, and once we have the identities of these individuals we will eject them and weaken Aizen and my uncle's ties in the company," said Byakuya. "Officially it will appear that we have re-structured some departments to ensure efficiency. I am now Head of Legal and working my way up to CEO and the board, so this is to be expected. None of this will make it to the news."

Rangiku took a moment to be thoroughly freaked out at the Kuchiki ability to keep things a secret, and then asked, "What do we do in the interim."

"We're going on our honeymoon," said Byakuya.

His straight face took the romance out of the whole thing. It did not help that the others were nodding their agreement with this, including Tier. He explained, "We need to keep you above suspicion with the press, and my uncle convinced that I have been cornered. He is expecting me to submit to him and I have no intention of disabusing him of that notion. As it is, I am unable to act against my uncle so I will take my new wife on our honeymoon, well out of his way, so that I may regroup and attempt again. In actuality, we will be working quietly to unseat as many of his allies as we can until I return. And when I do, I will be head of the Kuchiki."

"Isn't he going to be suspicious of all these people here?" asked Rangiku, looking at the others.

"Maybe," said Yoruichi, nodding. "But I am not too far enough along that I can't spend a week babysitting my childhood friend's stepson. And Isshin is your regular physician and Harribel-san here is your immediate supervisor come to find out why you just bailed on work today. The excuse is that you have been feeling unwell."

Rangiku nodded at this and then turned to Byakuya and said, "I'm not leaving Toshiro in Japan."

"We cannot take him with us," said Byakuya. "He has school and three former members of the Japan Defence Force as immediate bodyguards. You are looking at the three, well four," he nodded at Hirako Shinji, "people who have only ever been a serious threat to Aizen Sosuke…that is, before Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Ichigo!" Rangiku exclaimed. What on earth did Isshin's adorably awkward son have to do with anything? Was he not studying forensic science or something at university?

Byakuya worked his jaw as if he had swallowed something sour and said, "Did I not tell you?" Rangiku shook her head and he said, "Aizen took my sister around the same time that he took your son. I have no doubt that he had some kind of despicable scheme in mind for her but Ichigo thwarted him, and this was before he was recruited. So Toshiro is in good hands, Rangiku."

"Recruited? To what?" asked Rangiku a moment before it hit her that she was speaking to former and possibly current members of the JDF, some of who were definitely Special Forces too. They did not reply anyway and she said, "I'm still not leaving my son in Japan. If this works out in your favour it is going to be ugly and I don't want Toshiro caught up in that."

Byakuya exhaled heavily and said, "I want you to trust me to do as I vowed. No harm will come to Toshiro while we are away, especially not with Gin taking Aizen's attention."

"You're not being fair," said Rangiku, looking away from him.

"I can't be. Not with this," said Byakuya.

**0o0**

Gin's first strike came swiftly.

Toshiro and Granny Hitsugaya had arrived at the apartment only a few minutes after the others had left to visit with Isshin's family, and Tier to report on Rangiku's "condition". Byakuya hoped that Toshiro would not be too troubled to share with his grandmother for the time being once Yoruichi and Kisuke returned. According to Renji, the Snake had been spotted near Toshiro's school earlier that day though he had made no attempt to approach the boy. Granny Hitsugaya, in the company of Haru, had been accosted by reporters demanding her view on the matter of Gin's escape and whether or not she had seen him. Byakuya noted with more than a little displeasure that when she learned of it, Rangiku was more upset that Gin had not made contact with Toshiro than the fact that the Snake had been near her son at all. And then Toshiro switched on the TV just in time for a breaking news announcement.

Muramasa, Kouga's faithful assistant of many years had been shot and nearly killed. Kouga had only just escaped the attack, after Muramasa had heroically thrown himself into the line of fire. Matsuko, Kouga's pregnant wife, had thankfully been nowhere near. No one had seen the shooter. As a result, Kouga's campaign for office was temporarily suspended. Then the reporter turned to an in-studio panel consisting of a political analyst, a Kuchiki company spokesperson and a journalist. The spokesperson, a young man Byakuya had never seen before, immediately tried to reassure that this was "merely" an act of revenge for Kouga's past "yakuza-busting" alongside nephew, Kuchiki Byakuya, and that it could only do good things for Kouga's campaign.

"Oh my god," Rangiku breathed out when she finally managed to get her voice to work.

Byakuya's phone rang as he unlocked it to make a call, livid that no one had contacted him, and Matsuko bawled into his ear, _"I want that whore out of this family! Get rid of her, Byakuya! Get rid of her now or I will!"_

Byakuya glanced over at his wife. Rangiku did not appear to have heard, nor Toshiro, but Granny Hitsugaya was glaring at the phone. He got up and went to the kitchen before replying, "I would remind you that you are referring to my wife, Aunt. My wife who has done nothing to you. Anything that happens to Kouga now is a result of his own actions."

She ignored him. _"You have brought a monster into our clan. I will not have her! I want her gone! I will not have that monster—"_

"Aunt," said Byakuya, trying to keep his tone even. He had to keep his ire for whoever was keeping him out of the loop. Kouga and Sawako together no doubt. But why had his grandmother not called?

Matsuko continued undeterred, _"My husband nearly died! My child would not have known his father. That woman will be the downfall of this clan. I will not—"_

"Aunt," said Byakuya again, a little quieter but firmer this time. His aunt fell silent. He said, "Go and tend to your husband. Do not cause trouble for me or my wife. I know that since Rangiku stands up for herself that you have forgotten but I will not allow anyone or anything to come between us, not even you."

"_But—"_

He cut her off again, "None of this reaches Rangiku and I will not hear another word of it."

There was a long silence on the other end and then, in a tone much more composed than before, _"What is this now, Byakuya-sama? Don't tell me you've fallen for your own illusion and believe yourself to be in love with that woman? It's only been a few weeks. Do you think she feels the same? Do you think that Ichimaru Gin would allow you to keep her? That I?"_

Byakuya stilled, then asked in a forcibly calm voice, "Is that a threat?"

"_She does not belong here. You might have the rest of the family fooled and be well on the way to fooling yourself, but have you forgotten who we are? She will never be part of this clan, I will never allow it. Send her back to her yakuza or I will,"_ said Matsuko.

Byakuya inhaled, held it for a count of five and then released it slowly. Then he asked, "Why is it that I had to learn through the news that Uncle was attacked?"

"_What?"_ Matsuko asked, thrown by the change in topic.

"I will be informed only second to my uncle of all that happens. The matter of whether or not my wife is a part of this clan or not had been decided the day she signed her name into the family register. Now, do have a good evening, Aunt," said Byakuya.

Matsuko took the hint._ "Good evening, Byakuya-sama."_

"Give my regards to uncle," he said and ended the call.

Granny Hitsugaya was waiting for him when he turned to go back to the living room. She did not wait for his explanation, but said, "I take it that you have a plan in effect?"

"We do. And Rangiku and I are going on our honeymoon," he replied.

Granny Hitsugaya did not look impressed, "That is your plan? What, are you planning on getting her pregnant so that she won't leave you? She would not anyway, not until she has what she wants, and she has no future with Gin."

He stared at her. She scoffed and said, "You may be very good at hiding things, certainly, but actions are louder than words and everything you are doing now is screaming from the rooftop."

Byakuya took a breath, exhaled slowly and said, "I do not have something so nefarious in mind. I will not try to force her to stay with me. However, there are things afoot that require that we carry on as usual. As far as the rest of Japan knows, there is no connection between Ichimaru Gin's escape and my family."

"Even after your uncle's attack?" asked Granny Hitsugaya with a raised eyebrow.

"They did not catch the shooter, did they?" said Byakuya.

"Hmm," said Granny Hitsugaya, going to the stove to start a pot of tea. "If anything were to happen to Toshiro while you are away she will never forgive you."

"I know, which is why I need your trust and cooperation. Shihouin Yoruichi, Urahara Kisuke, Kurosaki Isshin and Hirako Shinji are all people I know I can trust with my life or I would never leave you all in their care," said Byakuya.

For a time there was only the sound of Granny Hitsugaya preparing tea and the TV in the other room. Byakuya could just hear Rangiku on the phone with someone, Nanao, he decided after a moment, and relaxed a little. Then Granny Hitsugaya said, "Your aunt sounded upset. I take it she sees Gin's actions as Rangiku's fault?"

"Yes," Byakuya admitted. "But she will not act against a Kuchiki wife. At least, not in public. Kuchiki handle their problems internally. At most I expect her to snob Rangiku at family events for some time to come."

"But her husband will not be so…considerate," said Granny Hitsugaya.

"He is not suicidal. In fact, the way this is headed, I suspect that the last person he will try to go after is Rangiku. Ichimaru-san has already technically warned him off her," said Byakuya.

"Perhaps," said Granny Hitsugaya walking over to hand him a cup of tea. Byakuya accepted the cup with a small nod of appreciation and she added, "But I'm more concerned about which of those two men he is most afraid."

Byakuya refused to admit that he was worried about that very same thing. Instead he said, "The way things are going, I think I should be more concerned about surviving my honeymoon."

Granny Hitsugaya did not look as if she appreciated his attempt at levity, but gave him a brief nod as she left the kitchen with the tea.

**0o0**

They all went to bed early that night, even Yoruichi and Kisuke when they returned, though Rangiku lingered in Toshiro's room before joining Byakuya in theirs. He suspected that she was still a little angry with him for letting Gin go, but Byakuya would not apologise for that. This was the kind of wild card that they needed.

When finally he could not take her shifting about in the bed any longer, Byakuya turned to face her and said, "Rangiku."

She stopped moving at once and asked, "What is it?"

"You are not a child. You know what I'm doing and why," he said, watching her silhouette in the dim light filtering through the curtains.

He felt the mattress shift as she turned to him as well before she said, "I'm not being childish, Kuchiki Byakuya. I have loved Gin for far longer than I have known you, before Toshiro, before my father fell in with Aizen. The little boy who stole persimmons so that I could eat something close to a balanced diet is the same person who broke out of prison yesterday to go after the men threatening my son. Caring about him is not being irrational."

"I did not say that it was," Byakuya replied, feeling his ire rising. Rangiku definitely had a hold on him if she could get him to openly display emotions. "But your insistence on punishing me for going against your wishes is. If I had tried to apprehend Ichimaru Gin earlier today I might only have succeeded in getting you hurt."

Rangiku sat up and scoffed. "Gin would have never hurt me. You only wanted to protect your reputation and our fake marriage!"

Byakuya sat up as well and said, "Tell me that you would not have intervened had I tried to apprehend him. Tell me that you would have stood there and let me take him back to prison."

He sensed, rather than saw, Rangiku's cheeks puffing in her fury, and then she snatched up a pillow and hit him on the shoulder with it. For a moment, Byakuya was so stunned he just blinked at her. Then he felt the air pressure shift as she made to hit him again and he ripped the pillow from her hands and flung it across the room. She made a sound like an aborted cry and he grasped for her hands, seized them and said, "No."

She started struggling. He held her hands down to her sides and said again, "No, Rangiku."

She screamed this time, through clenched teeth, still mindful of the others asleep in the house in the midst of her fury and tried to pull away from him. She was stronger than she looked. Byakuya nearly fell onto her before he put some force behind his grip on her arms. This time she ground out, "Let me go!"

He released her hands and she fell backwards and toppled off the bed. Byakuya scrambled over the bed to get to her side just as the lights came on to reveal her sitting on the floor beside the night table, looking up at him. He stopped. There were tears in her eyes but she did not look hurt. Then she looked away and said, "This was a mistake."

Byakuya felt his heart seize and curled a hand into a fist. If she was going to say what he thought she was, he did not want to hear it. Still, he was not a coward or a child. He asked, "What is?"

"This marriage," said Rangiku, wiping away the tears running down her face. It did little to stop them. "What the hell was I thinking? What were _you_ thinking? How was this possibly going to work? I'm going to pose as your wife to help you overthrow your yakuza uncle and take over your family business? What is this? A josei manga? A drama?"

Byakuya did not know what to say to that so he said nothing. Nothing seemed safest. She continued anyway, "How could I possibly help you? You should have married that Sawako. She would have done anything for you, she still might if you would give her the time of day. She is the powerful, well-connected kind of woman that you need. And I…I…"

She trailed off and Byakuya began, "You, Rangiku, you are t—"

"I'm not stupid, you know," she said, cutting him off, glaring now. "I know that I was the least complicated person you could have chosen. I look like the perfect trophy wife who would not challenge your authority in the company or your family and could content herself with spending your money until you get tired of me and upgrade to a younger model. And I thought that there was something in this for me. I thought that I was providing for my son and protecting him and that somehow I could help you stop Aizen, but what have I really done?"

Byakuya sat down on the floor before her. She bowed her head, refusing to look at him. He thought about reaching for her but then she shook her head and said, "It's too late now, isn't it? If we end things here, it would look odd. You would be out of the board and uncle would take over the company and I would be under investigation for helping Gin escape. Anyway that I look at it, I'm stuck with you."

"Rangiku," said Byakuya finally.

She looked up at him. He exhaled and he said, "You are most certainly not a trophy. A good trophy wife would have just said 'okay' to everything and then go back to spending my money."

There was a moment's pause, then she blinked and asked, "Did you just try to make a joke?"

Byakuya scoffed and looked away from her, "You would also have laughed at that instead of questioning it."

She laughed then, high and merry. Byakuya tried not to feel insulted the longer it went on and then she wiped her eyes again and said, "I will try not to become a liability to you. I will not intervene in anything that you have planned for Gin…but I will not stand beside you happily when you take him back to prison. As soon as this is over I need to leave. I won't trouble you about anything. I—"

"We should go to bed, we are both going to have busy days tomorrow," said Byakuya, rising from the floor.

Rangiku glared at him again, as if she knew what he had done, but then her brow furrowed. He could see her thinking over his words and actions. What had he done? He said quickly, "We had an agreement. I will honour the terms when it is time."

The furrow lessened somewhat and she nodded, and Byakuya extended his hand to help her to her feet. And that was when his phone rang.

He did not have to look at it to know that it was Gin. But he realised that he probably should have reached for it the moment it rang because Rangiku asked then, "Is it Gin?"

Byakuya did not reply but retrieved his phone from the nightstand and unlocked it. He immediately wished that he had not. Ichimaru Gin was a sadistic son-of-a-bitch and tended not to let anyone forget it. Though the Snake knew that everything he sent to Byakuya now was definitely going to be evidence in his eventual new trials, he clearly was not troubled. After all, why else would you send a prosecutor a picture of the man you just killed, suspended from his ceiling, with a note "I killed myself. Sorry, not sorry" pinned to his corpse's chest?

Rangiku gasped, and Byakuya cursed the fact that his new wife was tall enough to peer over his shoulder. Byakuya turned to find her staring at him, eyes wide, hand over her open mouth. "Is that…is that Nurse Granz?" she asked.

Byakuya looked at the picture again, noticing for the first time the man's pink hair. His glasses had also been stuck into his mouth. Then Byakuya noticed the comment with the picture, "#FTFY, #toaizenwithlove, #naughtynurse."

Rangiku's tears started afresh, just as Byakuya's phone rang again, this time a call, and when he answered, Kouga said, _"Get the hell out of Tokyo, tonight."_

"Uncle?" asked Byakuya, confused and surprised.

Kouga's voice was steady, almost calm, as he replied, _"You are my heir. If anything were to happen to you, the Kuchiki would face a succession crisis that could cost us the family share. I'm sending you out of Tokyo on business in the North."_

Byakuya considered this for a moment and then asked, "And should I refuse?"

"_This is not a negotiation,"_ said Kouga, his voice rising slightly. _"In light of recent events, I am afraid that the Kuchiki have no choice but to protect their interests, which includes you and now your wife, her son and grandmother. I don't want to see either you or your wife in the city tomorrow."_ And then, as if he could not help himself, he said, _"You think you are being clever, don't you boy? Do you honestly believe that you can stop me? Do not forget that I am still head of this clan and that I can still remove you from the line of succession. If you hope to succeed, if you want to keep that woman, be in the North in the morning and wait there until I call for you." _Then he disconnected the call before Byakuya could respond again.

Byakuya was left staring at the phone in his hand until Rangiku asked, "What is it?"

He replied, "My uncle wants us out of the city."

"What?" Rangiku asked, eyes wide.

Byakuya shifted his gaze to her and said, "Clearly Ichimaru's murderous rampage is unsettling enough that my uncle is sending me on a business trip, and you must accompany me."

"Are we going?" asked Rangiku.

"Yes," said Byakuya, already advancing to his closet.

"But…no, we can't go anywhere. It's the middle of the night. What about Toshiro? What about your plans?" Rangiku asked, forced to a halt in the middle of the room as he stopped to dial Renji.

The young assistant responded at once, if a little sleepily, _"Sir?"_

"I've been informed that I must go on a business trip to the North. Find out the details and make the arrangements," said Byakuya.

Renji began spluttering but Byakuya disconnected the call and turned to Rangiku. "We have no choice," he said.

"Wait, wait, wait," protested Rangiku, hands out between them. "We cannot just leave. What about your plan? Why are we running away?"

Byakuya turned to her and said, "We are not. My uncle must think that we are complying, that we are obedient. With us out of Tokyo, Ichimaru will have no support and therefore would be easier for Aizen's men to catch. He is simply providing us with an alibi for whatever comes next. He has no idea that we know even less than he does."

"Then this is a trap for Gin. You have to warn him," said Rangiku, reaching for his phone.

He lifted his hand out of her reach and said, "Have you forgotten that he is a fugitive?"

She stared at him, incredulous, and snapped, "Do you think I will leave him to walk into a trap?"

"No," Byakuya admitted. "But you will not interfere. Do not try to test the limits of what I will do to prevent you from being further dragged into this mess." He paused, watching the fury flushing her cheeks red, and sighed, then said in a softer tone, "Please, go prepare your things. I will see to it that a message does reach him. Now is not the time for acting rashly."

Rangiku stared at him for a few moments more, clearly wanting to protest further, but then exhaled and walked away to her closet. Byakuya was not fooled by her compliance for a second. The moment he let his guard down she would do everything in her power to help Gin. Just wonderful, now Byakuya had to watch out for his wife as well.


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: First, I can totally explain my long absence. I have an original fic on **_**Fictionpress **_**that I had to finish, and just could not work on anything else until I did. I am so sorry and promise to be more regular with the updates. As for this update: um, there is a section of this that I hate and more that I love. Make up your own minds.**_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.**_

**Juu-go**

Once she returned, Rangiku was never leaving Tokyo again, ever. Almost as soon as they had arrived at the hotel in the Sapporo, they were met by Subaru and Renji with an itinerary the size of a ledger. It appeared that Kouga had been serious when he declared his intention to have Byakuya working, but did he really have to include Rangiku in that?

The next three days were spent touring Kuchiki facilities, opening new offices, and meeting, over and over again, with managers and their wives and sometimes the press. Byakuya inspected documents and claims, sat in on disputes and negotiations, listened to hours upon hours of appeals and complaints and then had to give speeches that had either been intentionally written to be boring or his delivery style needed work. Not that it mattered to the audience for they always greeted him with enthusiasm, hung off his every word, and cheered loudly at the end. It was with more than a little awe and terror that Rangiku observed the proceedings, the devotion the Kuchiki inspired in the people who depended on them was disconcerting.

Rangiku, on the other hand, discovered that she was basically the company's "family representative" and so had to host brunches, luncheons and dinners for the wives and children of the managers. She was expected to walk quietly beside Byakuya on tours and inspections, incongruously attired in fancy suits and high heels, never removing them even when they had to go through muddy farmland. But the children, wild little boys in particular, reminded her painfully of the son she had been forced to abandon (temporarily) and when, on the second day, she came across one happy game of kickball, had thrown off her heels to join them much to the pleasure of the boys and their parents. Byakuya had been amused, Renji shocked and Subaru disapproving but the press had loved it. The headline the next morning: **BEND IT LIKE KUCHIKI!**

Their time at the hotel, a lovely traditional-style ryokan with all the modern luxuries, was mostly spent sleeping or preparing to go out. Byakuya though had insisted that they were to have breakfast together. Rangiku guessed that his actual intention was to gauge her mood. He had been, in his own way, trying to placate her since they arrived.

On the evening of their first day, she had walked into their bedroom to find a large bouquet of bluebells, white anemone, morning glory and daffodils on their bed. How he had managed it in the midst of all they had done that day, Rangiku would never know. He had not said a word then either, but the faint colour to his cheeks spoke volumes. Rangiku wore a spray of them as a brooch the next day. The next night, after the kickball, there were hydrangea, dahlia and pink roses, and then they had a late second dinner in their room. Sure, Rangiku fell asleep sometime after the main course but at least she had tried to keep up. The third day was an exhausting affair at the end of which Byakuya had returned after Rangiku had gone to bed and left before she woke the next morning. Subaru, expression solemn, brought in a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, yellow camellias and white roses with Rangiku's outfit for the day.

"You have brunch this morning with Byakuya-sama and some councillors on Kouga-sama's behalf. Byakuya-sama has also arranged a meeting with the women's league at the power plant—those are the wives and female staff—they are opening a day care for the children of staff and the community. Oh, and you have a phone call. Line one. I think her name was 'Nana'?"

Rangiku inhaled deeply of the bouquet, smiling at the lightly-perfumed apology, then set it on the bed beside her and snatched up the phone. Nanao exhaled into her ear, _"Finally! I thought he had you tied up somewhere and was refusing to let you use the phone until you 'asked nicely'."_

Rangiku grinned and replied, "No, no, I just woke up. We've just been very busy."

"_I _know_,"_ said Nanao, tone heavy with innuendo. _"The society pages are still talking about the kickball. You've been dubbed 'Lady Beckham'. And over on the political front, you and Byakuya-san have done wonders for Kouga-san's approval ratings. Well, that and the sympathy for the attack on his assistant."_

Subaru was setting up Rangiku's breakfast, but from her stiff posture, Rangiku guessed that she was listening in. She sighed and asked, "Any word on Gin?"

"_Nothing but rumblings in the underworld. The deal is off, you know. Byakuya released a statement that basically said as much. I'm sorry."_

Rangiku waved it away and tried to ignore the twinge of her heart. When had he done that? Or was that Kouga's idea? Aloud she said, "He's been apologising profusely."

"_Oh? I hope you've been waxing. Last I checked, Byakuya-san is not Indiana Jones, willing to go hacking through—"_

"Kyouraku-san proposed yet?" asked Rangiku, cutting her off. She always kept her waxing appointments, but that was not for Byakuya. And people thought Rangiku was the wild one. It was _always_ the quiet ones.

"_No,"_ was the reply with an audible pout.

Rangiku sighed and said, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's coming. Or you could, you know, cut him off."

"_Are you insane? I will _never_ be that mad at him. You try that with Byakuya-san and see how that works for you. I'm sure you won't make it to the end of the week,"_ said Nanao with a scoff.

Rangiku laughed and said truthfully, "Probably not to the end of the day. You saw that magazine spread that came out the week before we got married. And to think, that's _all_ mine now."

There was a clatter across the room and Rangiku looked up to find that Subaru had knocked over some ceramic trinkets on the dressing table. Though she could guess, Rangiku called, "Are you alright?"

The woman did not look back at her, but said, "Yes, Rangiku-san."

She started putting the trinkets back onto the dressing table and Rangiku said to Nanao, "I actually have not seen a lot of him since we got up here. We have schedules that can be double-booked and I swear, I did not realise I had married the Crown Prince of Japan. I have been smiling and waving and making prepared speeches and hosting tea parties and I think we have to open a festival tonight…or is that tomorrow? I did not sign up for this. Why the hell are the Kuchiki doing all of this?"

"_Because they own half of Japan,"_ said Nanao. _"And I'm not really sorry for you because he is young and handsome and married you without having to think about it, meanwhile I'm stuck going grey waiting for a known playboy to settle down."_

Rangiku let this pass without comment, enough had been said on the matter and apparently Nanao agreed because she asked, _"So, how are you doing, Rangiku? And don't lie to me. You know it's not going to work on me."_

Subaru walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. No doubt she was listening on the other side. Rangiku sighed and said, "I miss my son so bad it hurts for real. Seriously. I mean, we have been separated before, like when I was in the academy, but that was different. I just want to see him and hold him."

"_Have you spoken to him?"_

"He texts me every day and calls if I take too long to answer. He is in heaven though. The grandmothers have been smothering him with affection in my absence. He is going to be a nightmare when we meet again."

Nanao laughed and said, _"Oh boy, but at least you know he's happy."_

"Yes," Rangiku admitted. "There is that."

Then Nanao's voice turned to a conspiratorial near-whisper and she asked, _"So…what about you and Byakuya-san."_

"We've been busy. This is not a honeymoon," said Rangiku. She did not want to give away anything to Subaru.

"_Yes, but you guys are going on one soon, aren't you? Thailand? Where you'll be alone with each other for a week."_

Rangiku sighed and said, "Yes, and from what I've heard, Kouga has scheduled meetings with the Kuchiki overseas management while we're there. I don't think I'll see much of him then either."

"_I doubt he's booked your entire week. And this is your first time outside of Japan. You have to visit the beaches and all the touristy places. That is an outrage!"_

Rangiku laughed this time and said, "That is his life. But _I_ don't have to do any of those things so_ I_ am going to all the sights."

"_Sure, sure, where are you going to be? Phuket?"_

"A private island," said Rangiku, trying to remember. "There's a villa with its own yacht and everything."

"_Oh, my…you bitch! I hate you! Practice your Kegels."_

Rangiku rolled her eyes, which brought her attention to the clock and she said, "Shit, I'm going to have to go now. Duty calls."

Nanao was still giggling girlishly as she replied,_ "Understood, Kuchiki-sama, go out there and wow them!"_

Brunch was dull except for the one councillor who spent most of it staring at Rangiku's breasts and legs, then awkwardly complimenting both, sweating heavily and sneaking glances at Byakuya beside her. He was in luck, Byakuya was deep in conversation with two of the other councillors over protestors at the plant in light of the effects of the earthquake and tsunami disaster a few years earlier. Rangiku, with nothing useful to contribute and used to such attention from salarymen, amused herself for a time talking the councillor in circles. That was, until a stray comment about underwear caught Byakuya's ear and, without breaking focus on the conversation, he reached over and took her hand.

The councillor glanced at this, apologised and scurried away. Rangiku suppressed her pout with effort. The one time Byakuya decided to play the jealous husband was when she least needed him to. Still, his hand was warm and firm and his touch made her heartbeat pick up a little. She was upset with him, yes, even a little bit more now that they were so far away from Toshiro and Gin, but her traitorous body had not forgotten its attraction to him.

The meeting with the ladies' league was a solo affair for her—Byakuya had to review contracts and write up reports—but enlightening. Apparently, the organisation had been founded by Byakuya's great-grandmother during World War II for the families of employees and servicemen, and then expanded after to carry out various charity and relief efforts throughout Japan wherever needed. There were pictures of a beautiful, blue-grey eyed young woman, invariably in a fur coat and heels, Byakuya's great-grandmother Kuchiki Satsumi, walking through a hospital or plant or garden. Sometimes there was a boy with her—Ginrei—and other times, a man, her much older Kuchiki husband. Subsequent pictures traced Ginrei growing into a young man and Satsumi maturing with grace, and then Tomoe appeared, and shortly after Sojun and Matsuko.

Rangiku paused at the picture of Sojun, stunned at how strongly her husband resembled his father. But Sojun was thin, pale and shy, kept his head down in most of the pictures and stuck close to his mother even as he grew into a teenager. The woman guiding her, Ume, said, "Sojun-sama had been a very quiet boy, quite a contrast to the rascal his son became. Byakuya-sama just had to be in charge of everything. He could not sit still, spoke loudly, gave orders and then would pull up his sleeves and join right in when he thought they were taking too long to obey."

Rangiku laughed and immediately searched for a picture of him. Ume obligingly guided her to one, where a chubby-cheeked miniature of Sojun stood scowling beside a lovely, dark-eyed woman who could only have been his mother. Byakuya could not have been older than five and also really looked like a little girl. Rangiku fought a snort as Ume said, "It is a pity that Sojun-sama and Yoko-sama did not live to see him grow into a man. They would have been quite proud. The way he took in Rukia-sama after poor Hisana-sama passed away. Oh, but, maybe you don't want to hear about that…"

She said it in the manner of someone who was just hoping for Rangiku to agree so she could spread gossip about the new wife being jealous of the old, dead one. Rangiku was happy to disappoint her. She sought out a picture of Hisana, surprised to actually find one, even more so at how terribly pale the young woman looked and that yes, Rukia was indeed her near-identical twin, and said, "It is no problem at all. I've been told that she was very active in the children's charities and that happens to be my focus as well. When you grow up like we did, you want to make sure that no one else does too."

"Oh, yes, yes," said Ume, with a smile that did not reach her eyes. "Would you like to meet the staff now?"

All things considered, Rangiku thought she did very well with the women's league. The last thing she needed was to sully the Kuchiki reputation in the brief time she was their mistress. At the day-care there were quite a few children present and she could not help holding one of the baby boys and letting her mind drift back to Toshiro. He was going to be furious once he read her comments about his being a fat baby and the anecdote about the day he got into her schoolbag and wrote the 'Amazing Adventures of Dragon Warrior Hyourinmaru' all over her textbooks. The press even got a picture of her holding the baby with Byakuya who had come in to pick her up.

Then in the car, she said, "So when did you stop looking like a little girl?"

Renji went wide-eyed, and started coughing. Subaru scowled at her. Byakuya, unaffected, replied without looking at her, "This again? Do you require more proof that I am not one?"

Feeling playful, Rangiku grinned and said, "Oh I did not say you were, but yes, please."

He turned to meet her gaze with a lifted eyebrow and Rangiku felt heat pooling low in her belly. Thankfully Renji's phone rang and Rangiku shifted away from Byakuya, as much to ease away her discomfort as to avoid her husband's eyes. This was not a man to be trifled with, did Nanao not warn her from the beginning?

He said nothing for the rest of the ride, going back to his paperwork, but just as they got back to the hotel he leaned over and whispered into her ear, "You do not have to look so frightened. I promised you, did I not, that I would not do anything you would not like."

Rangiku was pretty sure that was _not_ what he said, and pushed her chin up. "I am not afraid of you, Kuchiki. You don't do jokes well."

He leaned away from her a little as if assessing her with new eyes. The car stopped and the driver got out to open their door. But just as he got to it, Byakuya leaned over and whispered again, "I will take that as permission to do better in future."

Then the door opened before Rangiku could answer, and Byakuya slipped out of the car. Rangiku blinked at his back as he disappeared from view, wondering what the hell had just happened and why it made her heart race. That was weird.

**0o0**

Rangiku should have known that things were going too well. Sure, she had been forced out of Tokyo for community service, her son was miles away from her and there was still no word on Gin, but no one had attacked them and no one had brought it up. At least, until that "intimate" dinner party with a manager's considerably younger wife (first red flag) who turned out to be another former classmate of Byakuya's (second) who had been dying to meet her (neon warning sign, complete with strobe lights and klaxon.)

There were four couples in all, the other two being a junior manager and his girlfriend and a businessman hoping to draw Byakuya and by extension the Kuchiki into a cybersecurity idea. The hostess boasted of preparing the meal herself and announced that once she learned he was coming, she had ensured that everything was a favourite of Byakuya's. So they were having spicy Thai food. Rangiku really, really wanted to mention to Byakuya that this was a nice precursor to their honeymoon in the next few days, and that she was just dying to have the "real thing", but she did not. She was an adult. And besides, what did she have to worry about after Byakuya had spent the evening helping her dress, much to Subaru's consternation?

_That_ had been a nerve-wracking experience. The look in his eyes had been so much like the one the night of the company dinner that Rangiku was sure she felt it to her bones. There was no mistaking what he intended to do to her. Nor had she imagined the way he let his fingers linger over her skin whenever he touched her. She had done her best to make it not look as if she was running away when Renji announced that the car had come in.

Clearly when Byakuya told her that he was going to "do better in future" he had not been speaking of jokes.

Rangiku was impressed with the hostess' cooking skills, and complimented her. The woman accepted it with grace, then turned for Byakuya for his approval. He was talking to her husband though, and so missed her appeal. Rangiku wondered why she cared that Byakuya had ignored the woman, but she had.

For dessert, they had a savoury seaweed treat shaped like what looked like a green, cartoon poop. Byakuya was thrilled. "Ambassador Seaweed!" he declared, then explained that he had grown to love the show watching it and Chappy with Rukia, and all bets were off. It was one thing to prepare a suck-up meal for your husband's boss to earn his good opinion, it was something else entirely to start pulling on his happy family memories you clearly had prior knowledge of. Also, Rangiku hated learning about her husband's inner geek in a venue in which she could not happily tease him about it.

The last straw came when the manager's wife, Anna, said, "Of course, I'm sure Rangiku-san's version is much better."

As if anyone would let Rangiku, to say nothing of a Kuchiki wife, actually cook for her husband. Rangiku replied, "Oh, I don't know, this is very good. You're a regular chef. Where do you find the time?"

The men continued talking with each other, but the other women at the table turned their full attention to Rangiku and Anna. Anna said, "I cleared two hours every other day in our schedules for us to spend time together. Don't let Byakuya-sama get away with working all the time. I've always said that if the only time you spend together is in bed you might as well not be married."

That was _too_ familiar. Rangiku gave a dismissive laugh and said, "Oh, he doesn't. Though he does have an annoying habit of being everywhere I turn. I tell you, if they had told me before that I was marrying a stalker, I would have put up a bigger fight."

Anna's eyes narrowed. Rangiku continued, still merry, "But I will say, if we should spend all our time in bed I would not mind that either."

Anna opened her mouth to respond, the look in her eyes assured that it would be cutting, but Byakuya said, "Is that so? I will hold you to that then in Thailand."

Rangiku could not stop her flush of embarrassment—how the hell had she forgotten he was right next to her?—and tried to hide it by laughing and replied, "I do actually want to _see_ Thailand while we're there."

Then Anna said, "Oh, so then they're letting you leave?"

Silence. Rangiku turned to look at Anna who had the grace to look embarrassed, but not too much, as she continued, "So very sorry. It is not true is it, that they've launched an investigation into your relationship with Ichimaru Gin?"

"No," said Byakuya before Rangiku could reply.

His tone, low and firm, and the haste of his reply said the opposite to Rangiku. The police _were_ now looking into her background and he had known about it. Nanao too, if she thought about it. Her best friend, her "ride-or-die-chick" had not mentioned it. She willed her temper under control though, as she said, "I cannot imagine why they would. I have not spoken to Ichimaru Gin in many years, and this was even before he was arrested."

Anna lifted the ends of her mouth in a ghost of a smile before saying, "I've heard that they are interested because of an incident that occurred before the prison gates. They say a woman who looks a lot like you was stopped by a private security team and led away."

"Anna," said the manager.

She clamped her mouth shut, and the manager turned to Byakuya and said, "Please forgive my wife, Kuchiki-sama. Sometimes she forgets herself."

"That is quite alright," said Byakuya just as Rangiku said, a little truthfully, "I think I'm going to be ill."

The spicy food was not agreeing with her. She stood up with her hand to her mouth. Everyone stood as well, and Byakuya put his hand on her back. Rangiku waved them away and the hostess took her hand and started guiding her to the bathroom. As they left the dining room, one of the other women said, _"There has been a lot of talk about her being ill, lately. Is there good news on the horizon, Kuchiki-sama?"_

Rangiku locked the bathroom door behind her and went to the sink to rinse her mouth. If she had her way, Byakuya would not ride in the same car back to the hotel. The police, her own former colleagues no doubt, were investigating her. Her stupid, _stupid_ decision to go see Gin because Byakuya had refused to let her had given them probable cause. And the reason she had not heard anything about it was because Byakuya had been filtering the information she received. What was it that he had told her that night before they left Tokyo?

"_Do not try to test the limits of what I will do to prevent you from being further dragged into this mess."_

He had cut her out of the loop so effectively she had had no idea what was going on. To think she actually believed that there was no news on Gin because he was lying low, because Nanao had said that there was none. No, there was no news because Nanao and Byakuya were in cahoots. But goodness, was there a filter on her phone too?

There was a soft knock at the door, and then, "Rangiku."

"Go away," she said.

"I think it is best we go back to the hotel," said Byakuya.

"You can stay," she replied, squeezing the sink. She did not want to see him. When she thought about it, he was the cause. She had had a career. There was a murder investigation that she needed to be a part of. Her son may not have had a normal life but she was going to help him pay for his tuition at Toudai. She had never needed Byakuya, never wanted any of this. She should not have married him.

The door opened behind her and Rangiku hastened to wipe away the tears just as Anna walked in and said, "This door does not lock, I'm afraid. Byakuya-sama has called for the car but asked me to check on you."

"I'm not pregnant," said Rangiku.

Anna blinked, presumably surprised, but then nodded and said, "I do not envy you, you know. I love my husband. It would be terrible to be stuck with a man you do not love."

Rangiku straightened and said, "Thank you for dinner. I'm afraid that I have to go now." Then, without waiting for Anna's reply, she pushed past her and walked out into the hall.

Byakuya was waiting for her. She smiled at him and said, "I think I just need to lie down for a little while."

He stared at her, clearly trying to gauge her mood, and then said, "Yes. The car is ready." Then he took her arm and guided her out of the house into the chilly night.

Rangiku let him help her into the car, but once the door was closed behind him, slid across the seat as far from him as she could manage and closed her eyes. There was a moment's pause and then, "I am not sorry."

"I know," Rangiku replied, turning her head away. "And that is what hurts the most."

**0o0**

"Kampai!" said Rangiku, raising her beer can in the air before putting it to her head and taking a long drink. Byakuya decided not to encourage her by replying, not that she cared anyway. This was her third beer, Sapporo brand of course, and there was three more to go but what concerned Byakuya was the sake. He would not call his wife an alcoholic, not exactly, but she clearly loved her liquor. He supposed he could be grateful that she had decided to drink in their room and not in the bar.

When they had returned to their room, Rangiku had ordered the alcohol with room service, then stripped out of her dress and changed into a pair of boxers and a t-shirt from his suitcase. He had lifted an eyebrow at the action, but she dismissed it without looking at him, "Yours is closer."

Subaru had appeared then, presumably to help, but Rangiku dismissed her immediately, with, "I don't want to see you for the rest of the night. And take the redhead with you. Go do whatever."

Subaru then turned to Byakuya for confirmation, and Rangiku snapped, "Leave, _now_!"

The other woman glared at her but scurried away at the look on Rangiku's face. And as soon as the door closed behind her, Rangiku exhaled and said, "Is there an investigation? And before you lie, please remember that I am supposed to be an equal partner in this, not some trophy your family picked for you."

He lifted an eyebrow at that but said, "Yes."

She inhaled sharply, then folded her arms, waiting for him to elaborate. Byakuya said nothing. She grunted and asked, "Can I really leave Japan, or was I going to get the surprise of my life when instead of heading to Thailand, we just go to back to Kuchiki Manor?"

Byakuya considered carefully his next words before replying, "They only launched the investigation yesterday, but have put no restrictions on your travel. They do not expect you to run."

Rangiku scoffed and said, "No, of course not. You would not let me."

Then the alcohol arrived and Rangiku claimed a seat in the living room to drink. Three beers in she was not intoxicated, not even close to it, but her mood was still bad and she kept sneaking glares at Byakuya. He ignored it, he understood that she was upset with him again and was determined to give her some time to work through it. But he would not let her drink herself into oblivion. If this was going to work, they would need to talk through their problems, not avoid them.

She disappeared to the bathroom when she finished off the third beer. He went to the living room, sat down next to her cushion and took one of her beers. She paused in the doorway when she came out of the bathroom to see him there, and then said, "I did not order any of that for you."

"You're not drinking all of this yourself," he said, then took a swig of the beer.

She walked over to the cushion and sat down next to him, then took a fourth beer and said, "I can hold my alcohol."

"That is not the problem," said Byakuya, meeting her gaze. "I do not want my wife to drink herself ill when we have an early inspection tomorrow."

She glared at him. "I'm not going," she said, drinking from her own beer. "If you think you can treat me like a child or some kind of special case you need to keep locked up and that I would go along with it, you have another thing coming, buddy."

Ah, so that was the problem. Byakuya sighed and said, "I reserve the right to keep things from you that will do you no good."

"Oh my goodness, I'm having déjà vu right now. I am very sure that we went over this once before. You _don't_ have the right to keep things from me because that is _not_ what we agreed. I know that you're accustomed to having your way, you overgrown spoiled brat, but not this time. How could you not tell me something like that? My reputation is in trouble and you keep that from me?"

He tried to keep his temper in check as he replied, "I kept it from you because it is not important to you, not anymore."

Rangiku sucked in another breath, eyes going wide and too late did Byakuya realise his mistake. Then Rangiku said in a low, terribly calm voice, "My career, which I worked damned hard to attain is no longer important? No. I must not have heard that right."

Byakuya refused to apologise. He would not. He was not wrong. The investigation was already almost over and would not even appear on official records. It certainly was not going to affect Rangiku's career because she was no longer going to be in the field. And then she poured her beer over his head.

Byakuya snatched her hand before she could pull away. She pulled back and he yanked her forward so that she fell onto him.

"Let me go!" she cried, struggling.

"We need to talk about your penchant for domestic violence," he said, holding firmly onto her arms. "You will not hit me again, nor will you throw things at me or—"

She cut him off by lunging forward, throwing him onto his back and rolling out of his grasp. Stunned, Byakuya let her go but she did not move too far. A moment later she came back into view over him, expression blank. He said, "This is not how an adult handles a disagreement."

She walked around him to sit down on the cushion again and opened another beer. Then she said, "I don't care."

Byakuya sat up to look at her. She did not turn to him, but brought her legs up and wrapped an arm around them while she drank. He reached forward and swept the hair away from her shoulder, and traced a finger along her ear. She did not flinch or shrug him away but she did not turn to acknowledge him either. He took a breath and leaned closer, whispering as he went, "You must know by now the lengths I will go to protect those close to me. Do you think that I would give anyone the chance to get to you?"

She said nothing. He put his face against her neck and breathed in the scent of her. Perfume, beer, a little sweat and, oddly, ash, the combination was more potent than the alcohol. He pressed a kiss just under her ear and this time he felt her shiver, then she put a hand onto his shoulder to push him back. He grasped the hand and nuzzled closer, tracing a path down her neck to her collarbone. Then she stopped trying to push him away, though she kept her hand on his shoulder. He opened his mouth and sucked her skin.

She inhaled sharply and pushed on his shoulder again, a little firmer this time and he stopped and pulled back. She said, "I'm angry at you. I have every right to be. Don't do that."

He considered his next words very carefully before he said, "I do not want this marriage to end."

She went very still. Byakuya reached over to take her left hand and said, "It appears that I have…grown fond of you in a very short time. I apologise for that. That was not the agreement. At best I expected that we would become friends and then end everything as amicably as possible when it was time. Instead…I apologise for cutting you out. I simply did not want you to have the chance to go back to Ichimaru Gin."

She closed her eyes and breathed in. Byakuya watched her, not daring to breathe himself. Then she turned to look at him and said, "That's not fair."

He waited. Her eyes started filling with tears that shone in the low light of their room. She pulled her hand out of his and said, "That is not fair. You cannot…you do not get the right to decide that you want more of this than we agreed. You cannot tell me something like this and expect everything to work out the way you want it to."

Byakuya had expected as much. He took a breath and said, "I will not mention this again."

He stood then, slowly, a reluctant unfolding of limbs that was mired in his childish desire to demand her agreement. It was easier once he was standing though and turned to head to the bed. But that was when she said, "I have not been with anyone since Gin."

He stopped, heart pounding, and said, "That is not what I meant."

She scoffed and said, "And that is not what I meant, gutter-brain. Well, not entirely. I have not been in any kind of relationship since Gin when I was sixteen. I don't know what you expect but this may not work out the way you think."

Byakuya walked back to her side and sat down again. "You do not know what I think," he said. She opened another beer and gave it to him. He accepted it with a nod of thanks and added, "It would be enough that you are willing to try."

She looked away from him and said, "Understand that if we are to do this you cannot do what you did before. You have to tell me what's going on. I'm already at a considerable disadvantage what with your name and your money and your goddamn gender. And I am not asking you for this, I'm expecting it."

He smiled, unable to stop the relief that flooded him then, and asked, "How do you wish proceed?"

At this she threw her head back and laughed out loud. It was a belly laugh, deep and happy, and though it annoyed him a little the longer it went on, Byakuya thought her amusement enticing. But eventually she regained enough composure to say, "My goodness, you're…you're…" She stopped, took a breath and said, "A little slower? I think there is a lot about each other that we need to know, stuff that's not in the files. Like that Admiral Seaweed thing."

"_Ambassador _Seaweed," Byakuya corrected her before he could think better about it.

She burst out laughing again and then reached over to ruffle his hair. "You are such an _otaku._"

"Hardly," said Byakuya, offended.

"Yes, well, things like that I needed to find out before our dinner tonight. Would have been useful. I never want to see that 'Anna' again," said Rangiku, scowling.

Byakuya reached for her hand again. She let him take it, and he said, "What do you want to know first?"


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: Ahem. *points at rating* Don't say I did not warn you. Adult stuff ahead. And well, um, that's all I'm going to say. *fans self***_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.**_

**Juu-roku**

According to Toshiro's instructions, despite this being their honeymoon, Byakuya was not allowed to lay one finger on Rangiku. Watching her was only permitted during conversation, conversation was restricted to whatever Rangiku initiated and even then, only when necessary, such as in the event that she decided to have dinner with him. And of course, they were to make daily video calls to Kuchiki Manor in the mornings and evenings so that Toshiro could be assured that nothing "funny" was going on.

But no plan survives first encounter with the enemy, and this one went right out the window when Byakuya and Rangiku arrived at the island. When one's enemy was Kuchiki Tomoe, one would do well to remember that she was most formidable.

They were off-grid. The only internet and phone access was on the yacht. There was satellite TV and radio but most of it was local programming. Rangiku did not speak Thai and understood very little. They had been given some staff, the crew on board the yacht would also tend to them on land, so there was housekeeping and security but in a 5000sf resort masquerading as a house that mattered little. They would not see them. For all intents and purposes, Byakuya and his new wife, who he had only just confessed more than platonic feelings for, were alone.

Rangiku had started laughing when they caught the first glimpse of the near-deserted island and had not stopped since. Tomoe had marooned them.

They ended their tour of the house at the master bedroom. Rangiku was still marvelling at the two-storey ceilings and twenty foot high doors and windows. There were walls of glass on the seaward side of the house, a massive Thai traditional-style roof, and many pieces of traditional art throughout the estate. Rangiku had already declared that she had first dibs on the pools, all five of them, and two Jacuzzi tubs. Byakuya did not have the heart to tell her yet that Tomoe had actually gifted the house to them for their wedding, something he had only found out the night before. He watched her as her gaze kept drifting back to the sea, the waves breaking on the shore, the coconut palms bent to the water in eternal supplication. Then he imagined her in her bikini, reminded himself that she wanted this to be slow, and pushed the bedroom door open.

He was greeted by an elaborately-carved double-king bed that took up most of the wall it stood against, with white silk sheets and an intricate spread of flowers and petals that carried over to the door. The wall opposite was glass, of course, though this section overlooked a private garden, pool and Jacuzzi and was ringed by trees that only hinted at the sea over their tops. Then Rangiku walked in behind him, whistled and said, "I've got to give it to your grandmother, she does not hold back."

"You did pack your own suitcase, didn't you?" asked Byakuya.

"Huh?" asked Rangiku, walking over to check the en-suite bathroom. "Yes, I'm not crazy."

The suitcases had been unpacked by the staff while they were touring so Byakuya went to the closet to check. Rangiku had packed a lot of bikinis, but also sundresses, miniskirts and low-necked tops. With a selection like that, Tomoe must have decided not to bother. Rangiku returned from the bathroom then with a grin and said, "You need to redo your bathroom. It needs to look like that."

"Just tell Haru what you want done and he will make the arrangements," said Byakuya, going over to his side of the closet. He doubted Tomoe had decided to do anything to his clothes but it would not hurt to check.

Rangiku burst out laughing behind him again and then flopped down onto the bed. Petals and flowers flew and when Byakuya turned to look, she lay as if in a garden. It was at times like this that he found her most beautiful, when she not even trying and so appeared as gentle and sweet and delicate as he knew her not to be. He closed the closet doors and walked over to sit on the bed beside her. She turned her head to look up at him, still smiling, and said, "You're too good to be true. I must be dreaming. I've not married you. I actually made it home that day and now I'm just curled up on my couch waiting for Toshiro to get back."

He let a small smile form in return and said, "You have very interesting dreams, capable of drawing other people into them."

"Oh? So this is an interactive dream?" she asked, already reaching for him. He bent forward to allow her to draw him into a kiss.

She pressed a light peck to the side of his mouth instead. He growled at her and she burst out laughing, then stretched her hands up into his hair and let him claim her mouth with his.

Four days, it had merely been four days since Byakuya had surprised them both with his declaration. In that time they had not made much progress, both too busy with their roles as the "Kuchiki Kouga PR Team", or so Rangiku had called them. Still, Byakuya had tried to give her what she asked for. He told her stories of his childhood, which led to the revelation that she had seen some pictures of his family while touring the power plant and then he had to give her the whole family history from World War II. Rangiku, in turn, told him about her father and the happy moments they had even with his drinking and gambling. This then morphed into her adventures raising the "white-haired hellion" that was Toshiro, and Byakuya's attempt to connect with the "poor, frightened rabbit", Rukia had become. When she pointed out that Rukia was hardly a rabbit, not least when she was around Kurosaki Ichigo, Byakuya, with a straight face, insisted that it was the Kuchiki in her. Rangiku decided not to remind him that his sister was adopted.

She allowed him to take her hand, or she would reach for him, not shy in her public displays of affection even as eyebrows were raised or blushing cheeks and snickers were hidden behind hands and fans. Byakuya liked to think that that was one thing he liked most about his new wife, that she was so bold. Except when they were alone.

Byakuya really did try to be a good person. He was raised to be a man of honour and he would die one. But he was not, despite what everyone thought, made of steel. This honeymoon was going to be a test of character, he knew, for while officially they were a married couple, unofficially their relationship was still very new. Rangiku would let him kiss her whenever he wanted to, but then pull back if things took a turn for the serious. He understood this, he really did, because he was hardly the type of man to fall into bed with a woman he barely knew and only just started dating. But then, he had never had to share a house, a room and a bed with any of those women. Hisana was the first and then she was his wife. Sawako was a brief, ill-fated affair that while sometimes pleasurable was mostly unpleasant. But Rangiku, he did not think he had ever wanted a woman as much as he wanted her since Hisana.

She wound her hands around his neck to let him deepen the kiss. He braced himself on the bed with one hand and used the other to cradle the back of her head, as he swept his tongue into her mouth. She tasted, still, of a frosted treat she had had on the yacht ride over. He did not like sweet things but he wanted to devour her. She slid one hand from his neck to grip his collar and he nearly fell onto her. He was not troubled, not yet. She seemed as much as war with herself on this as he.

She had offered herself to him before, yes, but she had been drunk then. Their relationship had changed, but the offer was no longer on the table. Not really. And that thought was always sobering. Byakuya broke the kiss. She chased his lips with her own, much to his amusement but he turned his head slightly and said, "We should have lunch and get a message back to Toshiro."

"What?" Rangiku asked with a groan, eyes still closed.

He laughed and said, "Your son needs to know that he will not be able to speak with you as readily as he likes. And we both need to thank my grandmother for her most thoughtful honeymoon gift."

She groaned again and fell back onto the bed with her arms spread out. Her continued irritation amused him further. He got off the bed and said, "Come. We still need to take a tour of the island. You did state a desire to see it."

She groaned even louder this time and then pulled herself upright. Then she said, "Can't I pretend for five minutes that there's nothing going on out there that matters?"

Byakuya said, "Yes, and you have an entire week in which to do so."

She exhaled heavily and then got off the bed to join him.

Toshiro was _furious_, to put it mildly. How he managed to keep a lid on that anger, Byakuya would never know. Then again, it might have had something to do with the drone set Tomoe had bought him. One could not be too mad at the woman who gave such wonderful bribes. He just gave Byakuya his best glare and reminded him that while Rangiku could be stupid, she was not an idiot but his mother and he would never forgive the man who hurt her. Rangiku had then reminded her son that she could and would still spank him if she needed to while Byakuya merely nodded acknowledgement of the warning.

Tomoe had the grace to look slightly embarrassed, the softest touch of pink to her cheeks, but she did not apologise. Instead she smiled at them and said, _"You two look relaxed already. See, there is no reason for you not to have some time with each other in the midst of everything."_

That, of course, prompted Rangiku to ask, "Is there any word?"

Tomoe, as usual, feigned ignorance. She replied, _"Muramasa-san will be out of the hospital soon. He claims not to know who attacked them. That it all happened too quickly for him to get a good look at them, but he has promised to help in any way that he can."_

It was Toshiro who said, _"Karin said that the police had had a run-in with Gin, and that he spoke to one of the officers but that was it. I think it might have been Hisagi-san. He beat them up a bit but they say that whatever he was looking for, he did not get."_

Rangiku considered this a moment and then asked, "Is there anything else?"

Toshiro glanced at Tomoe, then looked around them before replying, _"Something happened at your office, yesterday, Byakuya-san. No one is saying anything to us and there's nothing in the media, but whatever it was involved Fujiwara-san."_

That perked Byakuya's interest but before he could ask further, they were suddenly cut off. Subsequent attempts to reach them yielded nothing. Rangiku got up to go for the phone but Byakuya said, "Don't bother. It was my grandmother."

Rangiku gave him a sharp look and he said, "They are both fine. Grandmother simply did not want us to know what is going on."

Now her gaze narrowed and she asked, "Aren't you worried?"

He sighed and said, "More than you know. But we will not be allowed to interfere. We will have to trust the others to do their jobs."

Rangiku scoffed, clearly displeased, but before she could voice another protest, one of the crewmen appeared and said, "Lunch is ready, Kuchiki-sama. Will you be having it here or on the sand?"

Byakuya looked at Rangiku, tense and angry, a world away from the temptress of earlier, and said, "On the sand. It's been too long since I've been to the beach."

Rangiku's brow furrowed slightly but she said nothing. She would have plenty to say though, once she caught a glimpse of the set up.

Under the shade of some coconut palms and wildflowers, there was a linen-covered gazebo in which a small table had been set up. Rangiku's eyes went wide and she grasped for his hand again and said with a squeeze, "I'm willing to forgive you.

Byakuya freed his hand from hers, bracing for the slightly hurt look that crossed her features, and said, "This is not an apology. We both need to eat and you want to see more of the island."

She folded her arms, annoyed again, but he pulled out her chair for her and once she was seated, dismissed the staff. When he took up the bottle of champagne to fill their glasses, she said, "We already knew that there were suspicious persons in your office. Why would Gin go after them? Or Sawako, what was she doing there?"

Byakuya had a feeling that she would not let that go. Glasses filled, he set the bottle back into its ice-bath and then removed the tray covers from their meal. Seafood, of course. Shrimp, calamari, lobster, spicy the way he liked it, with a persimmon sauce for her. She quirked an eyebrow at this, but dipped a shrimp into it and took her time eating it. Byakuya replied, "It may be a case of bad-timing on her part. There is no evidence at all that she is involved in anything between my uncle and Aizen. But the legal department is where all Kuchiki contracts are examined."

"We need to know what happened," said Rangiku.

"Yes," said Byakuya. "But we will not be able to find out from here. How is it?"

She scoffed, "As if it would not be delicious. Maybe I should leave you for the chef instead. I'd be fat and happy."

"Oh? Well you'll be sorry to hear that the chef is a woman," said Byakuya.

"Pfft," said Rangiku, dismissing his response with a wave of her hand. "That hardly matters."

"A _married_ woman," said Byakuya. "Her husband is the captain."

Rangiku considered this for a moment and said, "Got me there."

Their lunch turned into a brain-storming session after that. Though Byakuya often found a way to shift the conversation away from Gin and Kouga and Aizen, Rangiku never let it go. He knew that she was burning with curiosity as to what was going on. With no PR work to distract them on the island, it was all she could think about. And Byakuya could not blame her. More than once he considered getting into the yacht and charting a course for Japan. They would not have made it but it would have been better than waiting the week out with nothing more to do than throw questions at each other. Of course, now he understood why Tomoe had cut them off.

After lunch, as Byakuya had suggested, he and Rangiku took a tour of the island. It took them the entire afternoon and was hot, but the water was warm and Rangiku could not resist running into it every few metres to cool off. When she soaked through her grey cotton embroidered sundress, it clung to her like a second skin and revealed the colourful bikini underneath. Byakuya thought he did very well in that he did not scoop her up and race back to the villa as he wanted to, but he did draw her into his arms and kiss her again. It was a languid thing, full of want and heat, but the wind broke it up by blowing away her hat.

She shrieked, then laughed and ran after it. Byakuya let her go and tried to ignore his twinge of disappointment. She was not ready, not yet, and he respected that. But did she have to respond with such fervour every time? Then he thought about the fact that they were going to share a bed tonight and sighed. It was going to be a long week.

**0o0**

Rangiku had barely slept at all that night, and woke hours too early when the room got chilly. To be perfectly honest, she had expected him to make some kind of move already. They were alone in this villa together with nothing else to do for a week apart from sightseeing and while the walking tour they had taken was fun, Rangiku could not do that for the week. Nor did she want to watch movies or work on her tan or whatever. She already made up her mind, probably had the moment he made his confession. She had been mentally preparing for the next step since the night before they left Japan, they were going to try to be husband and wife for real now for goodness sake. But nope, since they got to the island, Byakuya had been treating her with kid gloves.

Rangiku rolled unto her back and looked up at the fabric draped over the bed. It was a beautiful villa, really, and quite frankly she could think of no better place for a honeymoon. They were not a couple in love, not as deeply as everyone was told though they were trying. And she was very, very attracted to him and he was…Byakuya. She as his wife was no better than any one of his stupid fangirls, given the way she thought she had been throwing herself at him. She took a deep breath, exhaled and turned to look at him. Byakuya was staring back at her.

She squeaked, startled and sat up to look at him. "How long have you been awake?" she demanded.

He said, "I'm on vacation."

She snorted, then lay back down and said, "So you are human, after all. The time you get up in the morning is frankly obscene."

He chuckled and said, "Indolence. How did you manage as a detective?"

"I got sleep when I could," she replied, truthfully. "Which was sometimes in my car during a stakeout."

"Ah, well, while you were asleep, I had to be awake early to ensure that your slothful work did not result in an easy escape for the criminal," he replied.

Rangiku shrugged, then thought about what he said and flung her hand back to hit him. "Don't be rude."

He grasped her hand and said, "No hitting. Now let me go back to sleep. It was your constant turning that disturbed my rest in the first place." Then he released her hand again, yawned and went silent.

Rangiku was left blinking in astonishment before she turned to look at him. His eyes were closed and he did seem to be making a concerted effort to go back to sleep. She stared at him then, incredulous. Then the irritation set in when she realised that yes, he was not going to open his eyes and look at her. Hell, he did not even try to kiss her. Sleep was the last thing she wanted him to get any more of on this bed.

She walked her fingers over the mattress to his hand and seized it. His eyes snapped open but she ignored him, shifting closer until she could put his arm around her and then turned her back to him again. He said nothing, clearly stunned, which was fine by her because she was not sure she would have the confidence to follow through on the idea that had just come to her if he did. And that was ridiculous because when was Rangiku ever not confident about something?

"I did not know that you were one of those guys who thinks a girl is filthy and disgusting because someone else touched her first. I misjudged you," she said. He sucked in a breath, shocked, and tugged at his hand. She held it fast about her waist, intertwining their fingers before bringing his hand to her lips. His fingers twitched when she kissed them, then he hissed when she sucked three fingers into her mouth and bit down on them.

"Rangiku…" he began.

She spoke around his fingers. "Here, he kissed me here. I brushed my teeth and everything a lot since then but I guess to you that's not enough."

"Rangiku, you—" he tried again, hand tense in her own. She flicked her tongue around his fingers and pulled them out of her mouth still wet with saliva. He sucked in a breath and she fought back a smile. She knew she had him. Well, for as long as he was still shocked.

She pressed his wet fingers to her chin, and then drew them down along her neck, over her breasts and down her stomach to the waistband of her lace-trimmed boy shorts (purchased herself, just because, thank you.) He shifted behind her, drawing closer, presumably to stop her from making her next move but not quite fast enough before she slipped their joined hands under the waistband.

They both gasped when she pressed his hand to her bare flesh, and then she moaned as she slid his fingers along the slick folds. Again he tried to pull his hand back but she clamped her legs shut and dipped one of his fingers into the entrance. She gasped at the sensation, forced her legs apart and did it again, sinking deeper, then out again and around the edges.

"And here," she ground out through between gasps and moans, "Gin had touched me here once."

He grunted something, his breaths coming faster. She shifted backwards, pressing her back into his chest and her backside against his groin. He grunted again and she grinned at what she felt there, pressing back at her. He might pretend to be unwilling but his body definitely was.

He made another half-hearted attempt at pulling his hand back and she forced herself upright, closing her legs around the hand she was shifting into lazy circles in and around the bundle of nerves there. Her shorts were wet; his fingers finding no resistance and as she sat up she felt her nipples harden into nubs under her camisole. With her free hand she sought out his other hand, and brought this around her waist from the other side and up to her mouth.

He did not pull away as she lathed these fingers as before and slid them up beneath her camisole to her cup a breast. "And here, he—ah!" she cried, when he squeezed before she could make him do it and then twisted the fingers of his other hand into her. She gasped and rolled her backside into his groin again. He responded by sitting up behind her and pulling her into him, one hand still tweaking at the nipple under the shirt while the other worked its way ever deeper in between her legs.

"Oh, ah!" she cried out again, bending forwards slightly, releasing her grip on his hands to brace herself against the bed. He did not release her, but pressed into her, his breath at her neck a moment before he kissed and then sucked at the skin there. She arched her back into him and lifted one of her legs over his own to give him easier access, rolling her hips at the sensation.

This was not exactly what she had planned when she first grabbed his hand but she could not quite remember what else she had had in mind. She was already having trouble remembering her own name. Her heart was racing, her blood hot and she was having difficulty breathing, to say nothing of thinking straight. But he had gained control of the situation. He had her almost pinned beneath him, writhing and panting, nearly helpless. And that was one thing she definitely could not allow.

She reached back with one hand, felt around until she got to the waistband of his drawstring pyjama bottoms, then slipped her hand in and grasped him, hot and hard. His hips jerked at her touch but he did not let up, swirling his fingers in lazy circles in and out, stretching and teasing. She slid her hand along the length of him, shaft to the tip and back again, pre-cum flowing after even as it seemed to widen and stiffen further. Then he shifted the hand on her breasts up to grasp her chin and turn her face to him just as he slanted his mouth over hers.

The kiss distracted them both. He claimed her tongue with his own, almost pulling her into him. She tried to fight him, determined to have control but he pulled his hand out of her pants, the other from her chin and shifted out from beneath her, to press her back into the mattress, wrapping her legs around his waist. The change put her wet centre along his insistent groin and she rolled her hip into him. He hissed at the contact, then broke their kiss to pin both of her hands over her head with one of his hand, use the other to lift the top of her camisole and then claim a nipple with his warm, wet mouth.

She moaned, and flexed her legs, then pressed her heels into his lower back forcing him closer. He took the hand on her breast off, slipped it back into her shorts and then back into the folds of flesh at her centre. She gasped and squeezed her thighs around his waist, arching her spine and pressing her breast into his mouth. He traced his tongue around the taut nipple, bit it and sucked it into his mouth before moving to the other breast, leaving a trail of cool saliva to tease her harder in the cool air of their bedroom.

She could not free herself from his hold but she could not remain at his mercy. The pressure building wanted release and was not at all satisfied with just his hands. She spread her legs wider to use her heels to push down his pyjama pants. When he realised what she wanted, he released her hands, pulled his fingers out and then pulled her pants down and off her legs. She lifted her hips to accommodate him, then shifted to the side, suddenly shy to be exposed so, Brazilian wax be damned. He laughed, actually laughed at her, and then stood up and dropped the pyjama bottoms.

He made no attempt to hide himself or his very visible erection from her, but stood there and let her look at him. She stared at it for a moment, long and hard and weeping slightly, rolled her eyes at herself, lay back on her elbows and spread her legs open.

He climbed back onto the bed into the space between her legs, grasped her by the thighs and lifted her so that the tip of his member just lightly pressed into the folds of her flesh. She rolled her hips a little, letting it glide along the flesh, fluids mixing before stopping just at the entrance. He watched her do it, for she kept her gaze on his, and then he moved his hands up from her thighs and thrust in, deep.

"Ah!" she cried and squeezed her eyes shut. He did not move, waiting for her, and when she opened her eyes again, surprised to find them filled with water, he pulled back and did it again. Her body pulled at him, unwilling to let him retreat, and he pinched her on the butt so that she squeaked and glared but loosened up a little in her surprise. Then he released her thighs to slide his hands up under her back, leaning over her as he did so, and claimed her mouth with his own.

He did not treat her as delicately as Gin had. He set the pace but demanded that she respond, to roll or gyrate her hips in a manner that forced him deeper and would make her toes curl. He pinched her if she slowed down or bit her neck or nipple if she broke them rhythm. She was happy to oblige him, flexing her legs and hips to meet his thrusts, digging her nails into his flesh when he hit the right spot and pressing her ankles into his back to hold him there. They soaked the bed in sweat and bodily fluids, filled the air with the scent and sounds of their union and mingled their breaths in hot, desperate kisses. But when he felt her climax nearing, her gyrations becoming faster, frantic, he grasped her hips to stop her and pulled almost all the way out. She protested, angry, but then hissed as he pushed back in a slow thrust. She grasped his arms and squeezed, groaning, but he paid her no mind, doing it twice more before resuming the pace he had set before.

She dug her nails into his arm when she realised what he had done, denying her release. She had been so very close. He grunted his protest but ignored her, bending over her again to kiss her and work her back up to it. She let him, wrapping her hands around his shoulders and tightening her hips around his waist.

When she came, she surprised herself by breathing out his name. Her vision had gone white, and it took her some time to realise that she had squeezed her eyes shut. He rode it out with her, his hips jerking awkwardly a moment before he ejaculated inside her. Byakuya did not pull out until he was finished either, trailing a line of sticky white fluid along her leg and unto the bed beneath them. That was when she remembered the condom, or lack thereof.

He rolled her into the fold of his arms and kissed her forehead and asked, "Are you alright?"

She glared up at him half-heartedly, wanting to snap but not having the strength or willpower to do so, more concerned anyway with telling him that she was not on the pill. He kissed her again and said, "Does this satisfy you?"

She wanted to say yes, because it did. It had not hurt at all, for one, but she had only been playing earlier, just a silly game. That he might have thought her serious amused her. She said, "I'll get back to you. I'm going to sleep."

She heard him open his mouth to say something and then he clamped it shut. Good, she thought. Then she realised that she had just had sex with him, thus officially consummating their marriage and coloured crimson. He must have been watching her for she heard him snort. She threw her arm up over her head to hide her face. He burst out laughing and said, "I was wondering when you would notice that."

"Shut up," she snapped.

**0o0**

If Tomoe had not sent them off-grid, Byakuya was sure that she would have been very happy to learn that he had finally slept with his wife. On the other hand, if she had not sent them off-grid he was also very sure that he would not have laid a finger on Rangiku either. He would have found a means of distracting himself, maybe a picture of Toshiro scowling, or a phone call from the office. But then again, who would have thought that she would have been the one to reach for him?

When Byakuya awoke again it was to find that Rangiku had already left and gone for brunch. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, not quite believing what they had just done. The hollow feeling in his lower back and healing scratches on his shoulders said otherwise. There was no turning back, no telling how far it could go from here. And knowing his true nature, as Haru had once warned, it was very likely that he was going to come out of it the worst.

He sat up and looked around for his robe, pulled on his pyjama pants instead and walked out of the bedroom. Rangiku was seated at the dining table, already eating, staring out the glass walls at the sea. He was surprised to find that she had only thrown on a robe. He took a seat across from her and asked, "What are you having?"

"Everything," said Rangiku, scooping a bit of French toast and omelette into her mouth. "I'm starving."

"Are you going to share?" he asked, noticing then that most of the table was covered in a variety of dishes.

She smirked and said, "I don't know, I can eat all of this myself."

There were other questions that he wanted the answer to but she did not look inclined to answering them anytime soon at the moment. He wondered if she had forgotten. Probably not. But he decided not to ask her again and so they had a quiet breakfast until Rangiku stood up, announced, "I'm going to have a bath," and left.

He waited for ten whole minutes, in that time nearly clearing the rest of the spread on the table, before getting up to follow her.

She was in the hot tub when he entered, looking through the tall glass windows at the waves crashing against the shore. To their left they could just see the yacht at the jetty. He stripped off his pants and went to the shower. Rangiku did not turn around, had not even shifted since he walked into the bathroom. When he was satisfied that he was finally clean, he stepped out of the shower, walked around until he was in her line of sight and then stepped into the tub.

She watched him get in and said, "I'm fine." He paused, looking back at her. She lifted her gaze to his face and said, "And yes, I was."

"Ah, so you have had time to consider," he said, settling in before her.

"I needed time to think," she replied. She stretched her legs out beneath the water and hooked them just under his knees.

He lifted an eyebrow at her and she smirked and said, "You weren't bad, is what I'm saying."

"That was not why I asked," he said.

She dropped her gaze from his face, all trace of amusement gone. He waited. This was most critical if they were to pursue this aspect of their relationship any further, though he really, really wanted them to. She had to understand that if they were to continue along this line it was going to be very difficult for him to let her go. He was not a man who loved lightly and intimacy was something he only engaged in when he sure that the relationship was serious. As such, unlike some of his friends, he had had relatively few partners.

Finally she lifted her gaze to his again and said in a low voice, "Not everything in my life revolves around my attack. I have not 'gotten over it', but I have come to accept it as something that happened to me, as sometimes happens to other people, that I am not unique in my suffering, nor even that it led to a child that I could not bring myself to get rid of, and moved on with my life. When I went to bed with Gin at the time, yes, I could say that maybe some part of me looked at him for normalcy. He wanted to play a hero when I needed a supporter and I let him. And I was wrong to do that, to myself and to him. But you…no, I wanted to be with you."

He stared at her for a time in silence. She slid the toes of one foot along his calf and the heel of the other along his thigh. He seized both her feet and pulled. She squealed and slipped off her perch, into the water. He released her at once and she surged up, sputtering and swearing at him. He did not laugh, but moved forward to grasp her about the waist and pull into his lap, then claimed her mouth for a kiss. She smacked his shoulders, still furious, but then wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and gave in.

He meant for this kiss to be slow, wanting to take his time. She fought him, as she had earlier, sliding her tongue along his own, pulling back when he hooked hers and tilting her head in a manner so that he had no choice but to follow. His wife was not afraid of her sexuality. But he would not let her control this, as he could not have let her done earlier. It was an old-fashioned way of thinking, for sure, but he believed that in some things she had to let him lead. Hisana had had no such trouble. But then, he recalled as Rangiku slowly rolled her hips over his groin in a manner that his body could not ignore, this was not Hisana.

He broke the kiss to look at her. Her gaze was half-lidded but somewhat focussed. She swept the hair back from his face and kissed him again, then squeezed into his sides and began to kiss his neck. He grasped hold of her hips and stood up, lifting her with him.

"Finally," she breathed against his neck. He carried her back to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. She tried to pull him down on top of her but he resisted so she pouted and scrambled back onto the mattress.

"You are far too…wild, Kuchiki-san," he told her.

She got up on her knees and crawled back to him, kissing him again. This time he let her draw him over her on the bed, though she did not wrap her legs around him. He grasped her hips as he settled over her, pushing them up and further apart and then buried himself deep inside her in one swift thrust. She gasped, hips jerking, but he held her legs fast as she tried to lock him into place and drew out and slowly pushed back in. She mewled and arched her back into him. He repeated the movement, and her hands found his shoulders and squeezed.

He continued for a time in this manner, watching the way she would bite her lips or stick out her tongue, rolling her hips to meet him. Sometimes she would throw her hands back for the headboard, clutching at the wood, or she would grab at the sheets, bunching them between her fingers. Then at other times she would reach for him, kissing his mouth of his throat or collarbone. Her breasts, sweat-slicked and bare, bounced delectably even as he claimed a nipple in his mouth and lathered it with his tongue. She would press his face into them, then press them against his chest as wrapped her arms around his neck to steal a kiss. He shifted his weight to one hand to reach down and grasp her bottom, squeezing the flesh and anchoring her hip in place so that he could reach even deeper. She rewarded his efforts when her interior walls clamped down on the length of him even tighter, and she hooked her legs along his knees, toes curling. And then she got the leverage that she was looking for and rolled him onto his back.

He slipped out of her, surprised, but when he tried to get up she put a hand on his chest to press him back down while the other sought out his member and guided it back in. He pulled his knees up and she grasped hold of him, then pulled up and slowly rolled back down, impaling herself on him.

He grunted at the movement and she did it again, throwing her head back at the sensation. But now that she had the upper hand she sped up the pace, gyrating over him like a dancer. He felt his release building and reached up to take hold of her by the neck and guided her face back down to his for a kiss. She let him and he rolled her back down beneath him just as he came, spurting his seed inside her for a second time.

For a time after, they lay entangled, breathing heavily, his head on her chest, and then she said, "Hey, are you going to keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" asked Byakuya, listening to the sound of her heartbeat.

She shifted beneath him, a hand between her legs, then brought it up for him to see, covering in their intermingled fluid and said, "This."

"Ah," he said, realising what she meant. He had not been thinking about it at all, caught up in the heat of the moment. While he had always been careful, with Hisana it had not mattered for any child would have been welcome. With Rangiku it mattered, even if their relationship had just changed significantly. He captured her lips for a kiss, which she allowed, and then asked, "Are you not..?"

She lifted an eyebrow at him and replied, "Since when am I the only one responsible, buddy?" Then she sighed and said, "I'm not on the pill. I…didn't need to be before."

He stared at her in silence for nearly a minute before saying, "That was information I could have been given before."

Her cheeks reddened and he bent forward to kiss her shoulder, then along her neck and back up to her mouth. When they broke apart for air, he tightened his grip on her hips and thrust into her again. She crossed her ankles behind his back and wound her hands into his hair, kissing him back, until she could take it no more and had to break free to cry out, moaning and mewling as he pushed her to climax. She sank her nails into his back again as she came. She liked to mark him, his new wife.

He ignored the pain, watching her settle, feeling himself still taut and yet even more aroused inside her. When she hung limp against him, he started thrusting again and did not stop until he was near climax a third time, pulling out almost at the last minute and squirting his seed all over the sheets. She shifted out of the way and squealed, "Oh! Ack! Gross. I would hate to be the one to wash these sheets."

He lifted an eyebrow and she giggled, kissed him and said, "Your consideration is appreciated, though it may be too late."

He claimed her mouth for a longer, deeper kiss until she pushed him away to breathe, and then he said, "You are my wife now. Whatever happens will not be unexpected."

She scowled, "We're not ready for that. We've only just started this."

He kissed her cheek again and said, "Then we shall be careful. Unless you would prefer that we do nothing further until we can return to civilisation."

"Hell no," she said with a scoff that made him laugh. "Go check the medicine cabinet on the boat. I don't think there would be anything in the house, knowing your grandmother, but there has to be something."

Byakuya considered it a moment before leaning in to kiss her again, saying, "Maybe later. I don't think I want to leave this bed today."

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck.


End file.
